Trust Me
by Kelly of the midnight dawn
Summary: She had loved before and been hurt before. She had sworn that she would never trust anyone after that night but slowly, he had worked his way into her life until he was as essential to her as the air she breathed. EO
1. Prologue: Branded

**Trust Me**

**Prologue: Branded **

**Disclaimer: After all of this time, do I really still have to say it? Okay, here's the deal. I don't own the characters that you recognize i.e. Olivia Benson. I do however own the original characters that you probably don't recognize i.e. Jason Jameson.**

**A/N: OMG why am I starting another new story? I had this idea swimming in my head for a while and as soon as I had finished the prologue, I just couldn't contain myself and had to post it.**

**A/N: I guess this story is kind of AU. The prologue takes place about a week before Olivia actually started working at SVU and met Elliot. I hope it isn't confusing.**

Olivia Benson stretched out on her bed. It had been a long day and all she wanted to do was relax. She stared at the ceiling of the bedroom and wondered to herself if this was really the right choice to make; if transferring to the Special Victims Unit was truly her path in life. As soon as the thoughts entered her mind, she slapped them away with fierce hatred. Of course it was her path. It was the only way that she could ever hope to be whole as a person.

She heard the buzzer to her apartment sound and she reluctantly hauled her ass out of bed to go answer it. She pushed the button for the intercom "Hello?" she greeted questioningly.

"Excuse me," the familiar voice came back teasingly "I'm wondering if you can help me. I'm looking for the most beautiful detective in all of Manhattan."

Olivia laughed "Okay," she conceded "Come on up already before someone overhears that mush that you're spouting," she waited patiently by the door. She counted the seconds; she knew exactly how long it took him to get from the door of her building to the door of her apartment "fifty two, fifty three, fifty four," she murmured. The knock came. She opened the door with a grin "You're two seconds early," she smirked at her boyfriend.

Jason Jameson flashed her a brilliant smile as he pulled her into a somewhat awkward one armed hug "I was extra motivated today I guess," he told her right before they kissed. After they separated he shifted to hand her the large bouquet of flowers that he was holding "Here," he said rather breathlessly.

"Oh JJ," Olivia said in awe "You didn't have to do this," she took the large bouquet into her arms and wondered if she even had a vase big enough for it.

"It's not every day that my girlfriend makes detective," he smiled as he leaned in for another kiss "I thought maybe we could celebrate," he held up a grocery bag.

Olivia headed into the kitchen in search of a vase "Sounds good," she called back over her shoulder. She had been tired but there was just something rejuvenating about JJ's presence. True he was a good fifteen years older than her but Olivia loved him all the same.

JJ set the grocery bag down on the table and began to take out the items. He kept them out of Olivia's line of vision; she would see them when it was time. He moved over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind "Hey," he whispered seductively.

She turned in his embrace and kissed him "Hey yourself," she smiled as her lips crashed down on his.

JJ scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom "Did I say congratulations yet detective?" he asked.

"No," Olivia said uneasily as she wormed her way out of his grasp and onto the bed "JJ," she said uncomfortably as he sat down beside her. She had told him many times that she wasn't ready for their relationship to move to this level.

"Come on," JJ pushed her gently down and kissed her deeply "How long have we been seeing each other?"

"Six months," Olivia answered as she pulled away from him and sat up "But JJ, I'm not ready for this. I've told you that a million times."

JJ made a low rumbling noise deep in his throat "I know," he admitted "But Olivia, I'm only human," he protested.

"I think you should go," Olivia told him as she stood up and left the bedroom "Go buy a dirty magazine if you're that desperate," she muttered bitterly. She walked into the kitchen and saw the items that were laid out on the table. She gasped and turned around to see JJ standing there with an animalistic expression on his face.

He took a step towards her and she backed away "We both want this," he told her firmly "Don't you love me?" he asked.

"Yes," Olivia answered "But I…"

"Then trust me Olivia," he said as he took another step closer to her and wrapped his arms around her "Trust me."

"No," Olivia squirmed in his embrace as he brought her back to the bedroom "Let me go JJ."

"Shhhh," he whispered with a finger placed over her lips "Just trust me Olivia. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"JJ," she said more firmly as she pushed him roughly away from her "Not now and if you keep this up, not ever."

JJ wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to the bed with him "I thought you loved me," he said disappointedly.

"I do," she whispered and the next thing she knew, she was beneath him on the bed.

"Love is about trust darling," he told her gently as he removed her shirt. She tried to pry his fingers off of the thin fabric and cover herself but it slipped over her head anyway "Don't be afraid of this," he whispered as he kissed her neck. He unhooked her bra and tossed it away "Everything will be fine. You'll see," he ran his hands gently over her breasts, every once in a while, running his thumb over her nipple. He enjoyed the look in her eyes as she stared up at him "Let go of the fear," he whispered "Ride the pleasure and let go of the fear. Trust me to catch you when its over."

Olivia wasn't so sure about this. It felt good but at the same time it felt wrong. But he was being so gentle with her, how could she not trust him? And yet part of her was screaming at her to run. She tried her best to ignore that part; this was JJ, she loved him and he loved her. He wouldn't hurt her.

JJ slowly removed her pants, kissing his way along her abdomen "Don't be afraid," he continued to whisper "Just trust me, I'm not gonna hurt you." He removed her panties, leaving her totally exposed on the bed in front of him. He unzipped his pants and pulled one of the condoms that he had bought that day out of his pocket. Then he remembered something and bent down to kiss Olivia once more "This is gonna hurt just for a moment," he told her honestly; he was going to be her first and he knew it. Olivia closed her eyes tight as JJ pinned her wrists above her head. She braced herself "Relax," he whispered as he inserted a finger inside her "Just relax and trust me."

"Please don't?" Olivia whispered.

JJ bent to kiss her again "Shhhhh," he soothed "Its okay," he told her "I'm here. Trust me, I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to you," he thrust inside her.

"Oh God," Olivia cried out.

"Shhhhhh," JJ whispered. He moved slower inside her "Is that better?" he asked.

Olivia shook her head "Please stop?" she whispered.

"Open your eyes beautiful," JJ commanded softly "Let me see those eyes precious."

Olivia forced her eyes open at her boyfriend as he moved over her "JJ," she whispered.

"Ride the pleasure," he told her "It feels good. Let yourself enjoy it."

Olivia began to cry softly. She knew what was happening but it was so confusing. He was being so gentle. He was being so kind. It did feel good but at the same time, it hurt so much.

JJ noticed she was crying and kissed her tears away "Let yourself go," he whispered "Trust me to catch you." She simply clenched her eyes tight and waited for him to be done. He withdrew from inside her, removed the condom, tied it off and dropped it in the trash can. He stood up "I'll be right back," he whispered lovingly. He went out to the kitchen and poured two glasses of Champaign. Before he returned to the bedroom he slipped a capsule into one of them. The capsule dissolved instantly. He got back to the bedroom and sat beside Olivia. He handed her the glass that he had put the capsule in "I think we should toast your first time," he smiled as he handed it to her. He really did love her and that's why he wanted her to be numb for this next part. She accepted the glass hesitantly and took a cautious sip "To us," JJ said as he raised his glass high. He downed the contents in one gulp and waited for Olivia to follow his example.

It took her a bit longer than one gulp to finish the Champaign but when she did, she felt dizzy and needed to lie down again. When she was lying down, JJ pulled out his pocket knife. He pulled apart her thighs once more. Olivia moaned and tried to move away but she couldn't do much. JJ spoke reassuringly to her "Shhhhh, don't fight it. This'll be over soon," he told her. He proceeded to meticulously carve his initials into the soft flesh of her right inner thigh, secure in the knowledge that all she felt was just a little bit of pressure and not the stinging pain of the knife as it cut her.

As the wound bled, JJ licked the blood away. He had been sure to cut deep enough to scar but not so deep that it would be fatal. He tasted the sweet saltiness of her blood as it poured from the wound. The bleeding slowly tapered off on it's own and JJ placed a large wad of gauze over the wound. He secured it with a long piece of tape. He smiled down at Olivia and bent to kiss her once more.

Olivia wasn't completely aware anymore of what was happening but when he kissed her, she could taste blood on his lips. She couldn't explain how she knew exactly but she knew it was her blood.

JJ lay beside Olivia and waited for the effects of the drug to ware off. He would take her three more times before that night was through and in the morning when he woke up beside her, he was unable to restrain his curiosity and he took a look under the makeshift bandage. He smiled proudly at his handiwork.

She awoke to face him and she kicked him out. He left willingly. She dumped the remainder of the Champaign down the sink. She stomped the large bouquet of flowers into the trash can. She returned to her bedroom and cried.

There was no way that she could report this. She had just become an SVU detective. It didn't look good to come in on your first day of work and say 'Hi, I'm Olivia Benson. I'm the new detective oh and by the way, my boyfriend raped me last night.' She could just picture how that would go over. Besides, she wasn't quite sure what it had been. He had been so gentle. She had said no but he had been so gentle.

She stood up and headed into the bathroom. She needed a shower, she felt dirty. It was then that she noticed the bandage on her inner thigh. Carefully she removed it and when she saw what was underneath, she collapsed to the floor as fresh tears sprang forth. She couldn't take this; it was too much. She could never tell anyone about this if she wanted to keep her job and that bastard had known that. She could barely stand to look down at what he had done to her. The flesh on her inner thigh bore the letters JJ, carved in neat three inch high letters. He had branded her.

**A/N: As I said in the disclaimer, I own JJ but I'm not particularly proud of that fact. Please review and let me know if you want me to continue with this story.**

**PS: I'm planning on posting some holiday fluff soon but this story just begged to go up first.**

**You guys are awesome!**

**Elliot and Olivia for eternity  
****Merry Shipper Christmas  
****And Happy All The Other Holidays Too  
****Proud EO shipper  
****- Kelly**


	2. Chapter 1: Shadow That Remains, Reclaims

**Trust Me **

**Chapter 1: Shadow That Remains, Reclaims**

**A/N: This chapter takes place in present time, after Olivia returns from being undercover.**

"Happy eight year anniversary," Elliot smiled as Olivia opened the door to see him standing there with a six pack of beer in one hand and a bag of Hershey's kisses in the other.

"Big spender," she said dryly as she let him in "What, the corner store ran out of Hershey bars?" she quipped.

"Actually," Elliot cleared his throat nervously "Yeah."

"Come on," Olivia laughed as she took the six pack from him "The pizza got here before you did. Let's eat already. I'm starved."

Elliot sat on Olivia's couch with a heavy sigh. In the pale bluish glow of the TV he turned to her and without really thinking about it he asked "Does it bother you that we've been partners eight years and we celebrate by eating pizza and drinking beer at your apartment?"

"Should it?" she asked as she reached for a slice of pizza. The truth of the matter was that it sort of did. She had known this man for eight years and had begun to care very deeply for him. It shouldn't have bothered her but the celebration of eight years as partners seemed too chummy. She tried to ignore the feelings though and simply shrug off his question.

"I mean," Elliot cleared his throat nervously "This is nice," he began slowly "But it just doesn't feel right considering…" this woman meant more to him than life itself and although pizza and beer were all well and good for a Friday night alone, this was the anniversary of a very important day. He enjoyed spending time with Olivia in any setting but this just didn't seem special enough.

"Considering…?" Olivia questioned, leaning forward. She propped her elbows on her crossed legs and waited for Elliot to finish his thought. Her eyes bored holes through him; too many nights of laying awake thinking about him over the past two months had sent her nearly over the edge. She felt guilty of course for falling in love with him but somehow if he said it first… She hoped against all hope that he could feel the same way about her.

"I'm just saying," he began again as he once more cleared his throat "You mean more to me than just pizza and beer."

Olivia smiled. While not an admission of love, what he said was still sweet "You mean more to me too," she said softly as she reached for a beer "But this is fine with me."

Elliot leaned back against the couch cushions. Why was it that when he was around Olivia lately, he became tantamount to some hormonal teenager who couldn't get a full sentence out without feeling like an idiot? Maybe there was something to the old saying. Absence had indeed made his heart grow fonder. Being away from Olivia had made him quite literally ache for her presence beside him, to the point where he had to separate himself from the things that reminded him of her when she was gone. Now that she was back, he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He reached for a beer "How about for our ninth anniversary," he began contemplatively "We go out somewhere nicer than your apartment."

"Hey," Olivia tried to look affronted "Just exactly where is nicer than my apartment?" that question sounded wrong. Olivia became afraid that she was opening a whole new can of worms.

"Hmm…" Elliot began, a bemused grin dancing across his face as he looked around the living room. She hadn't really gotten a chance to clean since she had been back and the place was dusty and disorganized "Just about anywhere," he laughed and immediately through his arm up in front of his face to protect himself from the throw pillow that she launched at his head.

"I know," Olivia groaned "I've just been so busy," she began to make excuses for the lack of tidiness.

"Don't worry about it," Elliot told her as he handed the throw pillow back to her "Its not so bad," he grinned "Good pizza at least."

"Shut up," Olivia threw the pillow back at him as she laughed hysterically. She became serious again "I'm glad we're both here for our eight year anniversary," she told him.

"Me too," he said as he gently brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. The next thing he knew he had uttered the one thing he had been thinking since the moment he had laid eyes on her after missing her like crazy for two months "Please don't ever leave me again," he shut his mouth instantly, wondering for a second if he had really said that out loud and if he had, wondering what she would say in response.

"It was too long to be without you there," she whispered as her hand found his. Then she wondered if this was really happening. She withdrew her hand immediately. How had she come to trust this man? Why had she let him in when the last person that she had let so far in had hurt her so badly? She kept telling herself that Elliot would never hurt her and she really believed it. She was older now and should be able to pick up on the signs better but still part of her was afraid that she could be wrong about him and that the man she had fallen so hard for would turn out to be like the one who had used her and made her forever his.

"Olivia," Elliot began with a sigh "I'm not entirely sure what could come of this but I think that its worth it to see what happens."

"What are you talking about?" Olivia stood to her feet and began to back away. Her nerves had begun to scream at her. She loved this man; she trusted this man but love and trust only led to pain and sorrow. Yet she couldn't help herself and after a moment she returned to the couch, sitting just a little further from Elliot than she had been before.

Elliot had said the wrong thing, he knew it. He had screwed up his marriage by not communicating now he was in danger of screwing up his relationship with his partner by saying too much "Sorry," he mumbled as he reached for another piece of pizza "Never mind," he really didn't want to scare her off. She had just come back and he was already pushing her away.

Olivia allowed herself to move an inch or so closer to Elliot "Its okay," she told him "I just…" she trailed off and took a bite of her pizza to pass the time. She couldn't believe that in a moment of fear she had compared Elliot to JJ. Somehow that thought made her feel a crushing guilt in her heart. She slid her hand into his. It was time to stop being afraid, "Elliot," she whispered softly "I missed you so much."

"I missed you more," he smiled as he leaned closer. Hoping that he wasn't crossing the incredibly thin line between them, he placed a gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth.

Olivia smiled and turned her entire body so that she was facing Elliot "Is that all you got?" she asked teasingly.

Elliot grinned widely and kissed her full on the mouth "Better?" he asked when they separated.

Olivia flashed a devilish grin before pinning him to the couch beneath her and kissing him so deeply and passionately that they came up literally gasping for air. After their breathing had returned to normal, Elliot supported her above him and stared into her eyes.

"What are we doing here Olivia?" he asked seriously.

"I'm sorry," Olivia sat up and shrank to the other side of the couch. She was afraid that she had just ruined the best thing in her life.

"No," Elliot began, sliding closer to her on the couch "That's not what I meant. God, I don't know what I meant. I just… you mean so much to me that… Oh damn," he muttered when he couldn't even finish a full sentence.

Olivia leaned towards him "I know," she whispered "I don't want to screw this up either," she leaned closer "But if what this could be is what we both want, then isn't that worth risking what we already have?" she looked down and laughed "I don't think that made any sense."

Elliot took both her hands in his "It made sense," he reassured her "God, I just wish that it wasn't so difficult to say these things. I mean, I've never felt so…"

Olivia leaned further forward and silenced him with a gentle kiss. His hand quickly went to the back of her neck and the kiss became deeper as tongues explored frantically. Olivia looked deep into his eyes long after the kiss broke "I love you," she whispered, for a moment forgetting all the baggage that came with those words.

He smiled at her "I was kind of hoping you'd say it first."

She through her head back and laughed "Seriously?" she asked "I was waiting for you to."

Elliot too burst into laughter "You're kidding right?" he asked her "Wow, I feel dumb."

Olivia stopped laughing and looked at him "You know, you still haven't said it," she reminded him.

He placed his hands on either side of her face "I," he brought his lips closer to hers "Love," only a mere fraction of an inch separated them "You," he kissed her tenderly and lovingly.

Olivia wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to his feet. She guided him to the bedroom and they fell to the bed. She began to pull at the buttons of his shirt as he began to pull the hem of hers up.

Suddenly, Elliot stopped "Not now," he whispered.

"What?" Olivia asked sitting up. She had been with many men since JJ. Each one's hands on her, was a way to forget his. She needed this now; she needed Elliot's hands to erase all of them.

"I'm sorry," he told her "I just… I never wanted sex to mean so much before and…"

"Christ, Stabler," Olivia muttered as she stood up, shoving him off the bed "Be a man," she headed out to the living room and sat on the couch again, ignoring Elliot. The truth was that she'd never wanted it to mean so much either. But damn she needed him. She needed to forget every other man she had dragged to her bed in an effort to forget JJ. She needed him to erase any trace of shame that that night had left her with. She knew she was asking too much of him and yet and the same time she couldn't help but want these things.

Elliot sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders "I just want it to mean something," he told her "I don't want it to be just a spur of the moment thing; I don't want you to wake up tomorrow and regret it."

"I won't," she reassured him, even though in the back of her mind she was afraid she might.

"Let's wait and see where this goes," he said softly "It's a big risk we're taking. We haven't even gone on a real date yet."

"Eight years," she whispered "We've known each other for eight years. Do we really need to go on a date first?"

Elliot brought his lips to hers again "I just don't want to take things too fast," he told her honestly "I've never felt this way, not even about Kathy."

Olivia nodded "I've never felt this way either," she admitted "But I need you," she told him, knowing that he wouldn't understand the meaning behind her words and perhaps it was better that way.

Elliot was about to respond when his phone rang "Stabler," he answered it. After about a minute, he hung up and turned to Olivia "We've gotta go," he told her "They found a body in Central Park."

Olivia nodded and stood up, grabbing her coat "We'll talk about this some more later," she told him, letting him know that she wasn't going to let him off the hook for not wanting to sleep with her. On some small level perhaps she was offended. Every other man who she had invited into her bed had taken her hard and fast and been satisfied. In the back of her mind, she wondered if there was something wrong.

The ride to the crime scene was quiet. In spite of everything that had just occurred between them, there was nothing awkward hanging in the silence. They arrived at the crime scene and flashed their badges as they ducked under the police tape.

"What've we got?" Elliot asked Warner as he stared at the half naked woman who lay on the ground.

"I can't say for sure what the cause of death is," Warner began "But I can tell you that this isn't your crime scene," she rolled the body over "Lividity indicates that she died on her back."

"Raped?" Olivia asked coming closer.

Warner nodded "Evidence of vaginal trauma. No fluids."

"Probably used a condom," Elliot muttered. He bent closer to the body "What's that on her inner thigh?" he asked Warner.

Warner lifted the woman's right leg. She and Elliot stared in horrified shock and disgust as Olivia turned and ran to the nearest bush to throw up. On the woman's inner thigh were the initials JJ carved in three inch high letters.


	3. Chapter 2: The Monster Of Her Nightmares

**Trust Me**

**Chapter 2: The Monster Of Her Nightmares**

**A/N: I love reviews. Have I told you guys that? You guys are awesome! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

"Josephina Swift," Elliot said as he pinned the dead woman's picture to the evidence board "thirty six, single, lived alone. Her next door neighbor said that Josephina left last night around ten and never came back."

"Did her neighbor have any idea where she was going?" Cragen inquired.

"No," Elliot answered looking at his notes "CSU found her appointment book in her apartment. She had lunch yesterday with a… Sally Carter. I was just gonna go interview her now."

"Where's your partner?" Cragen asked as Olivia's absence became clear to him; he thought maybe she was just in the bathroom or something to that effect.

"She had to go home," Elliot said "She wasn't feeling well," he left out the part about her vomiting at the crime scene, about how he had asked her if she was okay and she hadn't answered for a few minutes. He didn't tell Cragen about how pale she looked and how much she had been shaking. He had dropped her off at her apartment and told her to get some rest; she had told him that it was probably a stomach but. He didn't mention how worried about her he was.

"Well," Cragen began "I think you can handle this interview on your own don't you?"

Elliot nodded "I'm sure she'll be feeling better tomorrow," he said, hoping that it was the truth but he just couldn't shake the feeling that what ever was going on with Olivia wasn't being caused by a simple virus.

He started to head out of the squad room when Cragen called out to him "Oh and stop by the morgue, Warner says she's got something."

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"What ever this woman went through," Warner began as she led Elliot to the slab where Josephina lay "I'm willing to bet she didn't feel most of it," she pulled out the toxicology report "She overdosed on sleeping pills."

"She committed suicide after the rape," Elliot murmured sorrowfully. This didn't make sense. Someone who is already dead doesn't dump their own body in Central Park.

"That's not all," Warner continued "There were traces of alcohol in her system and also a drug that is used primarily as an anesthetic. Your perp is involved in the medical profession somehow," she pulled back the sheet to reveal the letters carved into Josephina's thigh "If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say he's a surgeon."

"That should narrow it down," Elliot said gratefully. He thanked Melinda and headed out of the morgue, pulling his cell phone from his pocket as he went "Hey Munch, could you do a search for me. I need a list of all the surgeons in Manhattan with the initials JJ, thanks," it was someplace to start at least. He put his phone back in his pocket and climbed into his car. He would go interview Sally Carter and then go check in on Olivia.

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Olivia sat staring at the computer screen. It had been eight years since she had seen JJ and she didn't have the first clue where to find him. She knew that she had to find him before he hurt someone else. She couldn't tell anyone how she knew it was him. She got a hit on her web search and stood up. She grabbed her coat and her gun; she knew what she had to do.

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"Jo was a firecracker," Sally Carter smiled faintly through her tears "Always here and there. She was so high spirited," Sally hid her head in her hands "Oh my God," she whispered "I can't believe this is happening."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Elliot said comfortingly "Do you know if she was seeing anyone in the weeks before she died?"

Sally nodded "A doctor. I never met him but Jo always spoke so highly of him. I'm sure he couldn't have done anything like this."

"Do you know his name?" Elliot asked. The person that Sally had described to him didn't sound like the type who would take her own life, even after being raped and cut up.

Sally shook her head "I don't know his full name. Sally always just called him JJ."

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Olivia walked up the steps of the brownstone and rang the bell. She stood with her gun drawn and ready in her hand. She couldn't let him hurt another woman; if she had done something all those years ago to stop him then Josephina Swift would still be alive. She had to stop him no matter what. She didn't even care that she was going to shoot him point blank with her duty weapon; she deserved to go to jail; she was responsible for Josephina's death. Olivia heard footsteps on the other side of the door and her heart beat faster. She tightened her grip on her gun and waited.

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"Liv," Elliot knocked again on her apartment door. He was getting worried. He pulled out the spare key that she had given him in case of emergencies and opened the door. He moved slowly through the apartment "Olivia," he called softly "Honey are you okay?" he searched every room in the apartment and found nothing.

He paused in the main room and looked around. Nothing seemed out of place. It was then that he noticed that her computer was on. The screen was still lit up so she hadn't been gone too long. He approached it and examined what she had been looking at just before she left. She had been doing a web search for a Jason Jameson "JJ," he murmured as the connection clicked in his mind. He didn't know how Olivia knew who to look for but he knew that he had to find her before she did something stupid. He pulled out his cell phone again "John, it's me again. I need you and Fin to meet me at…" he read the address off the computer screen "And hurry," he said before hanging up the phone and running out of the apartment.

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The door opened and Olivia found herself staring at the man who had haunted her thoughts for the past eight years, the man who she had loved, who she had trusted, the man who had turned around and used her feelings for him against her. She found herself shaking slightly and she wasn't sure that she could shoot JJ even at close range.

"Olivia," JJ smiled kindly at her in spite of the gun being pointed in his face "It's good to see you."

"Shut your mouth," Olivia said in a low voice full of contempt for the man she had once thought that she could spend the rest of her life with. She cocked the hammer of the gun "Why did you kill her?" she asked him.

"Who?" JJ asked "Do you mean Josephina? She took some pills," he began to defend himself "I left the room for fifteen minutes to get something to drink and when I came back she wasn't breathing," JJ had known that SVU would be called in to investigate Josephina's death. He also knew that Olivia would come to him willingly "I got scared," he told her "I didn't know what to do. I took her body to the park and left her there."

"You bastard," Olivia muttered "You lying bastard."

"I could never hurt her," JJ told her "I loved Josephina. We were engaged."

"You loved her?" Olivia asked angrily "The same way you loved me?" she spat.

"No," JJ took a step closer to her, ignoring the gun entirely; Olivia didn't scare him "I never loved anyone the way I loved you. But you were confused Olivia. You left me."

Tears began to make their way down Olivia's cheeks "You held me down and forced yourself on me. I'm not confused about that," she moved the gun closer to his head.

"Come on Olivia," JJ smiled softly at her "Who do you think you're fooling with this," he easily pushed her shaking hand away and she lost her grip on the gun "We both know you wouldn't shoot me," he pulled her inside the house with him.

"Let me go!" she screamed at him.

"Shhhhhhh," he whispered "Just relax and trust me. I never stopped loving you. I'm so glad you've come back to me," he kicked the door closed behind him and locked it.

"Let me go!" she screamed again as she punched him in the face. JJ fell backwards but quickly recovered and caught Olivia just as she had her hand on the lock of the door.

He pulled her towards him again and kissed her "Its okay," he whispered soothingly "I love you, trust me. Everything is going to be okay. Just trust me."

"Not on your life," Olivia said bitterly "Now let me go."

"Shhhh," JJ told her as he walked upstairs with her in his arms "Everything will be perfect now that we're together again. I've missed you all these years."

"Let me go right now," Olivia fought to keep her voice calm as she struggled in vain against JJ's iron tight grip.

"Olivia," JJ said softly as he opened the bedroom door "Stop fighting it. It's perfectly natural," he laid her down on the bed "Trust me."


	4. Chapter 3: Safe Harbor

**Trust Me **

**Chapter 3: Safe Harbor **

Elliot couldn't explain the sense of urgency that he felt as he drove to the address that he had seen on Olivia's computer. He only knew that he had to get there. He pulled up in front of the brownstone only a few moments ahead of Munch and Fin. He shifted impatiently from foot to foot as the two other men got out of their car "Her car's here," he called out to them before they had even reached him. He turned and walked quickly up the stairs to the door of the house. He knocked but there was no answer.

Munch came up beside him "What's that?" he asked as he bent low, snapping on a pair of gloves from his pocket and picking up a gun that lay on the stoop. He turned it over in his hands "NYPD issue," he said, looking up at Elliot before standing to his feet once more.

"It's gotta be hers," Elliot was getting more and more worried by the second. Wherever she was, she was unarmed.

"Then where is she?" Fin asked the question that was on all their minds.

"She's gotta be inside," Elliot hypothesized. He rammed his shoulder into the door and it popped open easily "Olivia," he called as he entered the house followed closely by Munch and Fin.

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"Get off of me," Olivia commanded as she attempted to throw JJ off. She was trying to remain calm but this situation was just a little too much. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out. The problem was that she had gone out of her way to make sure that no one knew that she had come to this place at all. She had only herself to depend on, so she kept fighting, even if it was she was losing.

"Shhhhhhh," JJ whispered "Listen to me, it will all be okay. Just trust me."

"Get the hell off of me!" she screamed angrily as she managed to throw him to the side. She attempted to sit up but JJ pulled her back down again and held her firmly.

"You've got a lot more fight in you than I remember," he told her.

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"Did you hear that?" Elliot asked, tilting his head slightly "It's coming from upstairs," without even waiting for Munch or Fin to respond, he was off in a flash, taking the stairs two at a time.

He reached the top and looked around. He heard it again. There was no mistaking Olivia's voice. Sometimes the emotions were sometimes so subtle in her intonations were so slight that most people couldn't discern one from another but Elliot could and in that moment, he could hear the fear that she was trying to hide from her attacker. He moved quickly towards the sound of the noise and flung open a door at the end of the hallway.

He saw a man pinning Olivia to the bed. He rushed forward and pulled the man off of her. He punched the man in the face but the man struck back, throwing Elliot to the floor. Elliot recovered quickly and threw another punch at the man. The man blocked the punch and grabbed Elliot's wrists, attempting to twist them. Elliot wrenched his wrists free and punched the man in the gut so fast that the man was unable to block. The man fell to the ground and didn't appear to be moving. Elliot moved to the bed to check on Olivia.

While he had been fighting with JJ, Olivia had pulled herself into a sitting position. She smiled faintly at him as she said in a breathless voice "You've got some timing, you know that?"

"Are you all right?" he asked her as he tried to see if there were any signs of injury.

Olivia pushed him away gently "I'm fine," she reassured him. At that moment, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye "Elliot," she whispered urgently.

Elliot quickly turned to see that JJ was standing once again. Elliot reacted quickly and tackled him to the ground. JJ gained the upper hand in the fight quickly though and struck blow after blow to Elliot's face and chest. Olivia leapt off the bed and attempted to pull JJ off of Elliot. JJ found it hard to fight both detectives at once and before he knew it, Elliot had cuffed him.

"Jason Jameson," Elliot began to read him his rights in an out of breath voice "You are under arrest for the rape and murder of Josephina Swift and assaulting an officer," it was only at that moment that Munch and Fin finally showed up "You have the right to remain silent," Elliot continued as Olivia helped him keep JJ from getting free "Anything you say can and will be…" Elliot lost consciousness right there. Olivia caught him in her arms and Munch took over where he had left off.

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Elliot regained consciousness in the back of the ambulance on the way to the hospital but for the first few moments, nothing he said made any sense. After about five minutes of rambling about a pink teddy bear, he finally became lucid. He smiled softly at Olivia "Thanks for having my back partner," he said softly.

She returned his smile and gave his hand a tight squeeze as her eyes filled with tears that she refused to let fall "Thanks for having mine," she buried her face in the sheets of the cot beside him "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you," she whispered.

Elliot ran his hand over her hair "How do you know him?" he asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"It's a long story," she whispered. She was ready to tell him everything; after so many years she knew that she finally had to tell somebody. She just didn't want to tell Elliot while paramedics hovered around him.

Elliot understood immediately "We'll talk later," he said softly, patting her shoulder gently as they arrived at the hospital.

Olivia nodded and smiled as the paramedics jumped down from the back of the ambulance "Thank you," she whispered as she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss "I love you."

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Elliot was discharged from the hospital only an hour and a half later with the strong suggestion from the doctor that he take a few days off from work to rest. But the second he and Olivia were in the car he asked to go to the station house.

"You really should go home and rest," Olivia told him as she drove; that was a doctor's order that he not drive until the swelling went down.

"Stay with me?" he asked with a small smile.

"Is that the concussion talking?" Olivia asked, paraphrasing Dana Lewis and instantly hating herself for it. Elliot's question had been awfully forward and had come completely out of left field, at least in her mind.

Elliot was worried. JJ would most likely be granted bail and he wasn't sure what the man would do if given the opportunity. He wanted to know that Olivia was safe "Just stay with me for a little while?" he asked "Take some time off of work and hide out with me at my house."

Olivia nodded in acquiescence. She normally wouldn't give in so easily but she had just been through hell and for one moment, she had been afraid that she would be watching JJ kill Elliot right in front of her. She wanted the chance to be able to keep an eye on Elliot. If JJ was granted bail, and that was a distinct possibility, she didn't know what he would do. JJ was unpredictable and might come after Elliot seeking some kind of revenge. If that happened, Olivia wanted to be there to protect her partner. She knew that he would do the same thing for her.

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They did make a quick stop by the precinct to see Cragen who insisted, even before they had said a word, that they each take at least three days off to recover mentally and physically from what they had both been through.

When they had thanked the captain for his generous offer, and accepted it, they headed for Elliot's place. The first thing that Olivia did when they got in was to make him take up residence on the couch while she went to the kitchen and searched through the cabinets. She found a few cans of soup. She smiled softly as she made a mental inventory of the soups. She picked out a can and went over to the stove. She heated it up and brought it out to Elliot. She sat down beside him on the couch and handed him the bowl of soup.

"Aren't you going to have any?" he asked as he lifted the spoon to his lips.

"Maybe later," she said as she settled further into the couch cushions. She didn't really have much of an appetite at that moment; the prospect of having to tell Elliot what JJ had done to her had been looming over her conscious mind ever since the hospital.

Elliot swallowed another spoonful of the soup "Why vegetable?" he asked curiously.

"I figured that chicken noodle was for colds so, why not vegetable for concussions," she said with a grin.

Elliot chuckled warmly "I didn't know that there was an official soup for concussions."

"There isn't really," Olivia answered "Or there wasn't," she leaned back against the throw pillows "But I guess there is now," she laughed.

"Guess so," Elliot said as he turned to face her "You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered firmly "I'm okay," physically she was but emotionally, she was trying to prepare herself for the coming conversation. She was only waiting for Elliot to bring it up.

Elliot finished his soup and set the bowl on the coffee table. He pulled Olivia into his arms and leaned back. He pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around them both "This is nice," he observed.

Olivia nodded and allowed her eyes to drift closed but as soon as they did, JJ's face flashed in her mind. Her eyes popped open again and she tried to pull away from Elliot. She realized quickly that she was safe but not quickly enough that Elliot couldn't detect her sudden change in mood.

"What's wrong?" he asked; his voice full of concern for her.

"I'm fine," she answered simply before changing the topic to something a little more lighthearted "So what was that about a pink teddy bear?"

"Huh?" Elliot asked, clearly not remembering what he had said when he had been out of it.

"In the back of the ambulance," Olivia reminded him "When you first regained consciousness, you were saying something about a pink teddy bear."

"I don't remember that," Elliot scratched his head "But I think I know what I was referring to."

"Do tell," Olivia leaned in, obviously interested.

"My first love," he said wistfully "It was a long time ago. One of those stars passing in the night type of things."

Olivia nodded "I had one of those too," she mused "When I was a six. My mom said that I was too old to be clinging to a teddy bear so she brought me to the park and…"

"…Told you to throw it in the trash," Elliot finished.

"How did you…?" Olivia trailed off before it hit her "That was you?" she asked. When she had thrown her bear away, she had burst into tears. Her mother had wandered off somewhere and Olivia didn't know where she was. Without her teddy bear, Olivia felt completely alone. A little boy who looked to be about eight had picked up the teddy bear where it had landed, somehow nowhere near the trash can and returned it to her. Olivia had smiled at the boy and thanked him but before she could even ask him his name, her mother returned. Serena wasn't happy that Olivia still had the bear and she ripped it from her daughter's hands, throwing it randomly away before dragging her sobbing child away.

Elliot nodded, taking a long hard look at Olivia "I can't believe it was you," he whispered. He smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear before standing up "Stay right here," he told her.

"Elliot," Olivia protested as she stood up as well "You shouldn't be moving around so much. You should be resting."

"Wait there for just a second," Elliot called back as he climbed the stairs.

Olivia shrugged "If you fall down up there," she called after him "Don't expect me to drag you all the way back down here."

Elliot emerged a few minutes later. He was holding something behind his back "Close your eyes," he said softly.

Olivia complied and when she opened them again, she was staring at her old teddy bear "Oh… Elliot," she whispered as she took it from his outstretched hands "You saved him and you've had him all this time," she couldn't help the tears that sprang to her eyes.

Elliot took her into his arms "He's sort of a little more worn than when you last saw him," he said softly "He's been loved by Maureen, Kathleen and Elizabeth in that order."

Olivia separated and pulled Elliot to the couch with her "I never thought of you as the sentimental type," she quipped even as she wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I just couldn't leave him there," Elliot told her as he held her tight "I took him home with me," he told her "I went back to that park every day for two weeks, hoping I'd see you so I could give him back to you."

Olivia nodded. She hadn't been allowed to go to that park for two weeks for crying so much over a stupid teddy bear "It was you," she whispered in awe.

"Yeah," Elliot smiled.

Olivia sniffled slightly and looked up into Elliot's eyes "I remember you had more hair back then," she laughed a little bit.

Elliot laughed as well "And we were both a lot shorter," he recalled.

"Yep," she smiled, giving him a gentle kiss on the lips "Have I told you that I love you?" she asked.

"I've heard that," he grinned as he kissed her back "I love you too," he told her softly.

Olivia held the teddy bear in her hands. It was strange that such a simple childhood memory could hold such meaning, that the fact that Elliot had saved the toy for over thirty years was somehow comforting to her. She looked at him and knew that he was the one. He had been the one since she was six years old. She knew she could trust him with her painful secret. She took a deep breath and laid her head on his shoulder, needing the comfort of his touch to lead her through the next few minutes and beyond "About six months before I joined SVU," she began "I met a handsome man, a man who at first was kind and loving, his name was Jason Jameson."


	5. Chapter 4: Heavy Hearts

**Trust Me**

**Chapter 4: Heavy Hearts**

Elliot sat beside her on the bed as she slept, keeping silent watch over her. He gently smoothed a strand of haphazard hair behind her ear. All these years, she had carried that pain alone. Even after they had become close as friends, she had kept it from him. It broke his heart that someone had done this to her. He was sure that he would never forget the conversation that afternoon in his living room.

The most intimate moment was when she had shown him the scar that JJ had left her with. He hadn't attempted to hide his tears from her. He gently reached out and ran his finger over the letters, wishing he could make them disappear. She hadn't flinched when he touched the scar. She had placed her hand over his and just held it there. He had asked her if it still hurt and had instantly felt stupid for asking. She had answered that it didn't as long as she didn't look at it.

She stirred in her sleep and he wondered if she was dreaming; he wondered if it was a peaceful dream or a nightmare; he hoped it was the former. He didn't want her to be in pain. He hated JJ for what he had done and wished that he had killed him in that bedroom. It would have been so easy, just pull out his gun and shoot the bastard right between the eyes. He was broken from his thoughts when Olivia began to murmur in her sleep. He leaned closer to hear what she was saying.

"Elliot," she called softly. He wondered why she was calling out to him.

He looked momentarily at the nightstand where Olivia's teddy bear sat and smiled. He had gone through a lot of trouble to keep that bear safe. His brothers had teased him to no end because of the color and he remembered that on occasion he had taken it to bed with him on those nights when his father had been in a mood. He wondered, as he looked back at Olivia, if little Olivia Benson could have used her bear on nights when her mother was drunk. He even wondered briefly if Olivia Benson eight years ago might have needed her friend. Of course she would have needed a friend. He reached for her hand as she slept. He wished he had known then what he knew now. He leaned closer as Olivia whispered his name again in her sleep "I'm here," he reassured her "I'm here," and he knew that as long as God would allow him to be, he would be beside Olivia.

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"Okay smart guy," Fin began angrily as he smacked the crime scene photos down on the table "How do you explain your initials carved into her thigh?"

JJ stared at the picture and tried his best to feign disgust "Maybe she did it herself?" he suggested "We were in love."

"You make it a habit to rape those you love?" Munch asked disdainfully.

"When is my arraignment?" JJ asked, totally avoiding Munch's question.

"Tomorrow at nine," Fin informed him.

"I'd like to go sit in a cell until then," JJ told the two detectives as he stood up.

"Sit down," Fin said firmly "We aren't done here."

"I didn't kill her,"JJ told them "I didn't rape her and I certainly," he held up the photo that Fin had placed in front of him "Didn't mutilate her. That's all I have to say. Now if you excuse me," JJ walked right out of the interrogation room and allowed a uniform to lead him to a holding cell.

Munch sighed heavily "Wow," he murmured.

Fin leaned against the wall "Remind me," he began "Who's in charge here? Because he seems to be getting the best of us."

"He's slippery," Munch muttered "It looks like a suicide and we can't be sure about the rape. The only thing that could even possibly hold up in court is the initials and if he can convince a jury that there's even the smallest possibility that she could have done it herself then…"

"Then we're screwed," Fin concluded "We can at least get him off the streets. Elliot caught him with Olivia and that bastard nearly beat Elliot to a pulp."

Munch nodded "That's something at least but unless he gets the maximum sentence…"

"A vicious psychopath could be on the streets in only a few years," Fin finished.

"Come on," Munch said, standing to his feet "Let's go see if we can find anything out about this Mr. Jameson."

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She stirred in her sleep once again and called out to Elliot, much louder this time. Her tone was frantic. Elliot lay down beside her and pulled her close to him "Liv, I'm here," he repeated over and over again until she woke up.

"Oh God," she whispered when she saw him. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. In her nightmare, JJ had some after then and had sliced Elliot up. She had run to him as he fell but the blood had been coming so fast and he was gone "Oh God," she whispered again as she clung to him. She couldn't let JJ take this from her. JJ had taken everything else but she wasn't going to let him take Elliot.

"I'm here," Elliot whispered softly as he rubbed circles on her back "Let it all out. I'm here."

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JJ sat in the holding cell and contemplated his next move. He knew the murder charges would most likely not stick but he had assaulted two cops; he could go to jail for a while. He would probably be granted bail at the arraignment. He had to have his fun before the actual trial started.

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"Where do the people stand on bail?" Judge Gordon Fisher asked.

"The people request remand," Casey said simply.

"What else is new?" Fisher muttered.

Casey continued "The defendant brutally raped and mutilated a woman."

"My client is an upstanding member of the community," Howard Carmine, JJ's defense attorney, spoke up "We request ROR."

"Bail is set at fifty thousand, cash or bond," Fisher banged his gavel.

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Casey walked down the sidewalk towards where she had left her bike when a woman approached her "Is it true that they granted him bail?" the woman asked.

Casey turned to see a shaky looking woman with long blonde hair. She appeared to be in her mid thirties "Can I help you?" Casey asked.

"Is it true that Jason Jameson was granted bail?" the woman repeated.

"Yes," Casey answered.

"You can't do that," the woman said softly "You can't let that monster walk free," the woman shook more furiously "You have no idea what he's capable of," she started to fall.

Casey steadied her "Come on," she said gently as she hailed a cab "I have some friends that we should go talk to," the cab came and Casey and the woman got in "What's your name?" Casey asked her.

"Carina Pfeifer," the woman said softly.

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"Are you all right?" Elliot asked as Olivia set a plate of eggs and toast in front of him. She had been taking such good care of him but he had noticed that she hadn't eaten anything since they had gotten home the previous afternoon.

"I'm fine," she told him softly as she sat across from him at the table. She avoided his questioning and concerned gaze and instead examined the pictures of Elliot's family that hung on the walls.

"You're sure?" he asked as he stuck his fork into the eggs.

"Yes," she told him firmly as her eyes focused on a point just above his left shoulder. Elliot's phone began to ring and he and Olivia both reached for it "You're supposed to be resting," she told him.

"It could be one of the kids," he told her.

Olivia could see the caller ID from where she was and she knew that Elliot could read it too "We both know that it's Munch," she said as she made a grab for the phone.

"I asked him to call me," Elliot said as he finally pulled the phone away from Olivia's grasp and answered it "Stabler."

"The judge granted him bail," Munch said bitterly "He's already out on the streets again."

Elliot looked at Olivia where she sat, staring at him with nothing but love and compassion. He couldn't let her get hurt again "Thanks John," he murmured.

"I do have some other news though," Munch told him "We found another one of Jameson's victims. This guy's done this kind of thing before."

Again, Elliot looked at Olivia "Yeah, I know," he said softly before he even realized it.

"What was that?" Munch asked curiously.

"Nothing," Elliot said quickly "Thanks John. Call me if anything changes. Bye," he hung up the phone. He sighed heavily "The judge granted him bail," he told Olivia regretfully.

Olivia had been expecting this, still hearing it scared the daylights out of her "He'll be out on the street," she murmured.

"Already is," Elliot told her as he reached across the table and took her hand "Liv, I won't let him touch you," he said firmly.

Olivia nodded even though Elliot was the one she was really worried about. She sensed that there was something else that Elliot wasn't telling her "What else did John say?" she asked pointedly.

"They…" Elliot looked down, knowing that Olivia was going to take this news especially hard "They found another victim."


	6. Chapter 5: Forever His Possessions

**Trust Me**

**Chapter 5: Forever His Possessions**

"I was a freshman in college," Carina began. She watched as Munch took notes "One night, a bunch of friends and I went to a bar. I was only eighteen; I'd never been to a bar before. My friends all hooked up with their guys there," she looked down "Some friends," she muttered "They left me sitting at the bar alone. That's when I met him," she shuddered "At first he was really sweet. I fell for him instantly. We started going out," she reached for a tissue in the box that Fin had slid in front of her.

Munch nodded slowly, giving Carina her space "Take your time," he said comfortingly.

Carina sniffled a bit and wiped her eyes before continuing "We'd been going out a few months when he asked me over to his place one night. He said we were going to have a nice romantic dinner. There was no food," she buried her face in her hands "He… he told me that he loved me, that he wasn't gonna hurt me but… he raped me."

"Why didn't you come forward when it happened?" Fin asked.

"I was young," Carina began to explain "I wasn't sure what had happened and I was scared. I didn't know if it was even rape back then. He was so gentle. I kept telling him to stop but it wasn't like he hit me or anything."

"The second you said no," Munch told her firmly "He should have stopped. He didn't and that makes it rape."

"There's something else," Carina said softly, looking away for a moment "I don't remember when he did it but… the next morning when I went to take a shower, I… I saw what he had done. He… that bastard told me to trust him. He carved his initials into my thigh. That's how I knew it was him when I saw the woman on the news. He raped her but I know he didn't kill her."

Munch and Fin were both shocked. How could she be defending the man who raped her?

"How do you know this?" Munch asked as he leaned forward slightly in his chair.

"That freak wouldn't kill. That poor woman took her own life when she saw what he'd done to her," Carina said bitterly, wishing that she had come forward all those years ago "He wouldn't kill, he wants whoever he marks to go through life knowing that they belong to him," she collapsed into tears.

Cragen knocked on the door of the interview room and Munch and Fin stepped outside "It's been fourteen years Cap," Munch said "Statute of limitations was up long ago."

"It doesn't matter," Casey said as she entered the room holding a much needed cup of coffee "We can establish a pattern of behavior. We'll get this bastard yet."

"You think the judge will allow Carina to testify?" Fin asked.

Casey thought for a moment "JJ wouldn't have gone fourteen years without leaving another victim," she said in realization "There have to be others out there. Find them."

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"You really should eat something," Elliot told her as he sat beside her on the couch once more. It had been almost a day since he had seen her eat anything; he was worried about her.

"Not hungry," she responded simply as she leaned against his chest.

"Liv," he began to rub her shoulders gently "Please eat something. You've been under a lot of stress and you need to take care of yourself. Please, I'm worried about you."

She gave him a soft smile "I'm fine Elliot," she said reassuringly "I'm just not hungry. I'll eat something later," she promised.

Elliot placed a gentle kiss to the crown of her head then tilted her chin so that she was facing him and placed a kiss to her lips "I'll trust you to keep that promise," he smiled.

"It depends who cooks dinner," she returned his smile "I don't think you should go anywhere near the stove."

"Ouch," Elliot grinned even as he tried to pretend to be affronted by Olivia's remark "Hey, I can cook… if its microwavable," he laughed.

Olivia laughed as well "Don't worry," she told him "I'm here to save you from TV dinners for the rest of your life."

"I kind of like TV dinners," Elliot joked. He was glad that Olivia was there. He kissed her again "Promise?" he asked.

"Promise what?" Olivia was confused.

"Stay forever?" he asked as he looked at the clock. Eight years, one day, nine hours and thirteen minutes ago he had met the woman that he was destined to fall in love with, the woman that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Olivia too was looking at the clock. To her credit, she waited until it had been eight years, one day, nine hours and fifteen minutes before answering; she thought any sooner might be considered to hasty "Yes," she smiled softly "I'd love that."

"So would I," Elliot told her as they kissed.

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JJ looked once more at the piece of paper that he had written the address on. He searched the house numbers for it and found it. He walked slowly up the steps, his hand reaching into his pocket to be comforted by the presence of his knife. He surveyed the house and tried to figure out what was the best way inside.

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"Did you hear that?" Olivia asked, straightening up. She could have sworn she hear footsteps outside.

"I think so," Elliot responded and was in the process of standing up when his cell phone rang. He reached for it and flipped it open "Stabler," he answered.

"I thought I'd keep you up to date on the case," Munch began "Carina's story checks out. JJ attacked her fourteen years ago. Casey wants to establish a pattern. Fin and I are going to see if we can find any other victims."

"Oh," Elliot said "Thanks John," he hung up and turned to Olivia who stared back at him questioningly.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"They're looking for any other women who might have been attacked by JJ," he took her hands in his and held them.

He didn't have to say it; Olivia knew what she had to do. She was going to have to tell her co-workers about the most humiliating, degrading and terrifying thing that had ever happened to her "I'll drive," she whispered as she stood up.

Elliot stood up with her and pulled her into a gentle embrace "I'll be right there with you," he told her "We're gonna get through this."

Olivia nodded "Thank you," she smiled as she kissed him. They separated and the two of them headed out to the car. She started the engine and they drove off in the direction of the precinct.

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Carina had been driven home by Munch while Fin had stayed at the station to track down anyone who new JJ. She had insisted that she would be all right by herself and Munch had left. Carina sat in her living room, flipping through TV channels. On some level, she was glad that she had finally told someone; her heart felt a little lighter now. She only wished she had said something back when something could have been done to stop him from hurting anyone else.

The sound of glass shattering made her jump. She turned around and there he was. She gasped and prayed that she would wake up; that this was all just a really bad dream "Get out!" she screamed.

"Long time no see," JJ smiled as he walked towards her "I loved you Carina but you betrayed me. You told our secret," he pulled out his knife "I'm sorry," he said softly as he grabbed her by the shoulder with one hand and plunged the knife deep into her flesh with the other.

Carina gasped as she felt the warm blood flowing from her body. She felt the world spinning out of control and she felt herself slipping away. Then she felt something else. JJ had placed his mouth over the stab wound and was gulping down her blood with horrifying elation "You're sick," she whispered as she crumpled into his arms.

"This way we'll always be together," he told her through a mouthful of her blood. They would all be together; him, Carina, Josephina, Samantha, Emma, Isabella, Alyssa, Brianna, Julia, Victoria, Anna and Olivia. They would all be together in this life and beyond. He would see to that.

**A/N: Okay, I know that this was shorter than the other chapters but once you've written a gruesome murder scene, it's kind of hard to get back in the EO fluff frame of mind. Please review. There's an interesting pattern in the names of his victims. See if you can guess it.**


	7. Chapter 6: Blood Lust

**Trust Me**

**Chapter 6: Blood Lust**

**A/N: Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews. As for the pattern, all the names end in the letter "A" congrats to everyone who guessed it and I'm sorry that it wasn't something more interesting. It has nothing to do with how he picks his victims or at least I don't think it does. I just ended up picking all names that ended in "A" and then thought that it was really weird LOL. So please don't kill me? I love you guys and all of your wonderful reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and keep those wonderful reviews coming.**

"You all right?" Elliot asked as they walked down the hall of the precinct after Olivia had finished giving her statement.

Olivia nodded numbly. She had just told people that she worked with on a daily bases about everything that JJ had done to her all those years ago. Elliot had stayed beside her the entire time, holding her hand under the table. She felt scared to tell Munch and Fin these things; she didn't know what their opinion would be of her after she did. They didn't seem to think any differently of her but time would tell. She reached out and took Elliot's hand as she finally spoke in a voice laced with exhaustion "I'll be all right," she whispered "I just want to go home."

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Home, they were going home, together. He snuck a quick kiss as they stepped onto the sidewalk "Absolutely," he smiled softly "Remember, you promised that you would eat something."

"I'm too tired," she sighed heavily.

"You promised," Elliot reminded her as he slid into the passenger side of the car "I'll pay for drive through," he offered.

"Okay," Olivia conceded and starting the car, headed for the nearest McDonalds.

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They lay in bed together, his arms wrapped protectively around her. She turned in his embrace to face him in the relative darkness of his bedroom "I need you," she whispered.

"I need you too," he pressed a kiss to her lips "I can't imagine my life without you in it."

She returned his kiss lovingly and propped herself up on her elbow "That's not what I meant," she told him as she straddled his thighs and dipped her hand inside his boxers.

"Olivia," he moaned as he grew hard in her hands. He reached down and removed her hands with his own "I don't want this to be something that you're going to regret."

"I won't," she told him firmly "I love you. I want this," she reassured him as she lay on top of him and kissed him. She needed him. Memories of JJ had been called into the forefront of her mind too much lately. She needed Elliot's hands on her. She needed the touch of someone to make her feel whole instead of the memories that left her feeling broken. She needed to be the one to take the lead in this; she needed to feel like she had control over who she did or didn't sleep with. She needed him "Please," she whispered "I need this."

He wrapped his arms around her, sensing the desperation behind her words "I love you," he whispered as he moved her so that she was lying beside him again "That's why I can't, not tonight, not after everything you've been through," he didn't want her to associate their first time together in anyway with JJ's memory.

"Please," she repeated.

He placed a finger over her lips "Just lie here with me tonight?" he asked gently "Nothing more, nothing less. I love you and I can't have you doing this because of him."

Olivia sighed "I need you so I can forget him," she whispered. She realized what she had just said and buried her face in his chest "Oh God, Elliot I'm sorry."

"No," Elliot whispered "Don't be."

Olivia couldn't help it. She had wanted to use Elliot the same way that she had used every other man that she had dragged home and into her bed. They had all been so that she could forget JJ and she didn't want to do that to Elliot. She cared too much about him. For the first time in a long time, perhaps ever, she truly loved someone "I'm sorry," she whispered again "I want it to mean something too. I really do," she kissed him again "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered as he ran a hand comfortingly up and down her back "And I'm here. When it happens it'll mean something." The two of them just lay there and held each other until they fell asleep.

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"Someone die?" Warner asked dryly when she saw the expressions on Munch and Fin's faces.

Both men sighed and rolled their eyes "Just tell us what happened," Munch responded. He had recognized the address when they had gotten the call; he knew that it was more than likely that Carina was the victim and something told him that JJ had to be the one who had killed her.

"She exsanguinated," Warner told the two detectives "A single stab wound to the shoulder," Warner looked away for a moment "She died slowly."

"If she bled to death," Fin began, noticing that something wasn't right "Where's all the blood?" he stared around the spotless living room.

Warner lifted one corner of the sheet where it covered the stab would. She pointed to a faint impression around the wound itself "He took it with him," she said simply.

"So we're looking for what exactly?" Fin asked "Some sort of vampire?"

"That's a human bite mark," Munch corrected "Vampires have fangs."

Fin just stared at his partner. Some questions were better not asked in the first place. He turned back to Melinda "Do you think he left DNA?" he asked.

"In more places than one," she answered him bitterly "Bastard raped her while she bled out."

Both detectives thanked Warner and walked out of the house. Munch sighed heavily "This guy is even sicker than I thought."

"Let's go pick him up," Fin said as he slid into the driver's seat and started the car.

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Emma Sanders woke up suddenly. She had thought she heard the sound of the door to her apartment opening. She knew that that couldn't be possible. Her roommate wasn't supposed to be back until Monday. She slid out of bed and padded out into the living room "Sarah?" she whispered shakily "Why are you back so soon?"

She reached for the light switch and flipped it. As soon as she did, she froze "I told you to stay away from me," she said shakily as she reached behind her to the bookshelf, looking for something to defend herself.

"I missed you Emma," JJ said as he stepped closer "You look so beautiful. It's been too long."

"Stay away from me!" Emma screamed, throwing one of the only hard cover books from the bookshelf in his face.

He stumbled backwards and Emma ran to the phone. She had picked it up and had dialed nine before he had pulled her away "Don't fight it Emma," he whispered "I love you. Be with me."

"No!" she screamed as she struggled against him.

"I'm sorry that it had to come to this," he told her as he pulled out his knife "But if we're ever going to be together, it can only be in death."

Emma's eyes widened as JJ plunged the knife deep into her shoulder "No!" she screamed as he lowered her to the couch.

"Shhhhhhhh," JJ whispered "We will be together forever," he placed his mouth over the wound and began to swallow the blood that poured forth. He reached down and pushed her panties to the side. It had been three years since he had last had the pleasure of Emma Sanders and she was just as amazing as he remembered.

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Olivia woke up suddenly from a terrifying nightmare. She breathed heavily and wanted to scream, wanted to break down into tears. Then she saw Elliot beside her and calmed instantly "Thank God," she whispered as she laid her head on his chest.

Elliot began to stir in his sleep "Hmm?" he questioned as his eyes opened. He had heard Olivia's voice and had been aware of her sudden movements. He looked down to see her lying next to him. He reached down and brushed the hair out of her face. He bent his head and kissed her softly "Is everything okay?" he asked her in a whisper.

"Yeah," she whispered, trying to push the uneasy feelings from her mind as she nuzzled closer to Elliot "Yeah, everything's okay."


	8. Chapter 7: Ever More Terrifying

**Trust Me**

**Chapter 7: Ever More Terrifying **

He'd forgotten how wonderful it was to wake up next to someone in the morning; it had been a long two years. He had had no idea of just how lonely he was until she had left. When that had happened, he had sought female companionship in the most inappropriate place, the space that she had previously filled. The space had been occupied by a woman who, in Elliot's secret opinion, wasn't half the woman that Olivia was in any sense. It had been far too long since he had woken up to the sensation of a warm body beside him. He reveled in the sound of her breathing softly and evenly as she slept. Yes, it had been far too long since he had woken up beside someone he loved. Even in the last years of their marriage on those rare occasions when he and Kathy actually spent the night in the same bed, they had woken up on opposite sides, their bodies hardly touching and he had felt this sense of coldness towards him, a sort of indifference as if Kathy were simply going through the motions simply for the sake of their children. After a while, neither of them could go on pretending; they weren't right for each other and there was no denying it anymore.

He pulled himself into an almost sitting position and just watched Olivia sleep for a while. Feeling that she was being watched, she began to stir into wakefulness. She opened her eyes slowly and stared lovingly at him "Morning," she murmured in a soft voice.

"Hey," he whispered in return as he bent and kissed her. He could lose himself forever in these sheets with her but the day had to begin. He got out of bed "Want some coffee?" he asked.

"Good idea," Olivia yawned as she pried herself from the warmth of the covers; without Elliot under them, there was no point in staying there. At least that's what she thought until the relative chill of the bedroom hit her. She shivered slightly.

"You okay?" Elliot asked as he watched her. He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her "It's a little cold isn't it?" he smiled as he held her tight.

"A bit," she smiled at him "But this is a little better."

Elliot grinned "It'll be warmer downstairs."

Olivia slid out of bed and followed him to the kitchen. It was warmer downstairs, once Elliot had turned up the heat a bit. She sat across from him at the table as he poured her a cup of coffee. She had to admit that it felt nice to be here with him like this. She loved that she loved someone and she loved the feeling of absolute certainty that that love was returned. She had been staring at Elliot for a little while and couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him.

Elliot noticed this and smiled; he couldn't help staring at her too. He didn't say anything about it, he didn't have too. He just sat across from her and took a long swig of his coffee. He set the cup back on the table "What should we do with our day off?" he asked.

"I don't have any ideas," Olivia told him "We could rent a movie and sit on the couch all day eating junk food," she smiled.

Elliot nodded. They didn't really have too many options; he was still recovering from his concussion and he wanted to be able to keep an eye on Olivia. He wouldn't feel safe until John called and told him that JJ was in custody again. JJ's trial wouldn't even start until Monday. He smiled at Olivia, trying not to think of how he might lose her if he even blinked "Sounds good to me," he replied.

"What kind of movie do you want to rent?" Olivia asked as she stood up, moving to the refrigerator and opened it, looking for something for breakfast.

"Horror," Elliot suggested "Or action."

"Men," Olivia murmured to herself as she pulled the carton of eggs out and looked at the expiration date skeptically.

"I heard that," Elliot protested "What's wrong with a good old fashioned horror movie?"

"A lot of things," Olivia began "The plots usually suck," she took another carton of eggs from the fridge and looked at it "Sheesh," she groaned in frustration "Do you have any food that isn't expired?"

"Probably not," Elliot laughed "I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while," he laughed at the expression on Olivia's face as she took the cap of the milk and smelled it "There's probably some instant oatmeal in the cabinet," he suggested as he stood up to go look.

"New plan," Olivia said as she threw most the eggs into the trash can and dumped the milk down the sink "Grocery shopping first, then we rent a movie but not a horror movie."

"Okay," Elliot couldn't stop laughing at the look that Olivia was giving him as he pulled out a box of Strawberries and Cream flavored cream of wheat "We'll get an action movie," he said as he reached up and got two bowls from another cabinet.

"Is this seriously all you have?" she asked skeptically as she looked at the ingredients on the box "Are any of these things even food?" she asked.

Elliot took the box from her and looked it over. A frown crossed his face "I wonder if Kathy knows that they eat this stuff."

"Who," Olivia asked "The twins?"

"Yeah," Elliot responded as he poured a packet into each bowl "Last time they were here we went shopping and they filled the cart with mostly junk food so when Dickie put this in I was glad to see something that looked halfway decent," he groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead "Kathy'll probably kill me when she finds out about all the crap that I let them eat."

"Cheer up," Olivia smiled as she added water to the bowls and popped the first into the microwave. She reached for the box and looked at the ingredients again "Just tell her that they're getting their daily supply of…" she looked up and grinned devilishly "Red die number five."

Elliot swatted the box out of her hand "I'm glad that my misfortune amuses you," he couldn't help laughing himself as he leaned in and kissed her. He pulled away as the microwave finished "Are we really gonna eat this stuff?" he asked her.

Olivia turned and removed the bowl from the microwave "It's either this or be poisoned by expired food," she told him as she handed him the bowl.

Elliot took it and set it on the table "I wonder which would be worse," he mused. He pulled a spoon out of a drawer and handed it to her "You try it first."

Olivia pouted "I thought you loved me," her pout turned into a giggle as she popped the other bowl into the microwave.

"I do," Elliot told her "I just thought that you would want to try it first."

"Nice try," she told him "But they're your kids and you bought it for them so you should try it first."

Elliot conceded and stuck the spoon cautiously into the bowl. He was half afraid that the thing would give him radiation poisoning as he lifted the spoon to his lips. He swallowed the so called food quickly "It's edible at least," he told her.

"That's good," Olivia smirked at the look on Elliot's face as she took her bowl from the microwave and sat down across from him.

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"Neighbors heard screams last night around one," the uniform told Munch and Fin as he led them into the apartment "One of them came to check up on her this morning and…" he trailed off and turned to the detectives "I've seen a lot of things on this beat but… this guy's real sick."

Munch gave the other man a pat on the shoulder "Thanks," he said simply.

"What've we got?" Fin asked Melinda as he knelt beside the body.

"Emma Sanders, twenty six," Warner began as Munch joined them "It looks like the same COD as the woman from yesterday."

"Carina," Munch murmured. Then something occurred to him "Did she have any old scars?" he asked.

Warner nodded and moved the sheet to reveal the woman's right leg. She lifted the leg far enough so that the letters carved into the woman's inner thigh were visible.

"JJ," Fin muttered "This guy's a real sick freak."

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"I thought Carina said that he wants them to live the rest of their lives carrying that scar with them," Cragen said as he looked at the crime scene photos.

"It's gotta be him Captain," Munch said with total conviction "I know it."

"This can't just be a coincidence," Fin agreed with his partner "Both women were victims of JJ's and they both bled to death slowly from a single stab wound to the shoulder," he left out the part about the perp consuming the blood because frankly it made even him cringe to think about it.

"See if CSU found anything at Jameson's house to suggest that he'd do something like this," Cragen told them "Keep me posted."

The two detectives nodded and left the squad room. Once they had, Cragen went into his office and called Elliot; he wanted to keep him up to date on this knew disturbing development. Cragen had no doubt in his mind that JJ was killing his past victims but they couldn't do anything about it until they had proof enough for a warrant. Cragen had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that Olivia was in danger.

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JJ sat in his car, scoping out his next victim. He knew he was taking a chance in broad daylight like this but he only had until Monday to finish what he had started so many years ago. He had to bring them all with him into death and he needed to do it before the police caught on to him. He opened the car door and walked slowly towards the woman whose back was turned to him.

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Elliot sat in the passenger seat of the car while Olivia rented the movies. She had told him that she wanted to pick out the movies because of his apparent bad taste in movie genres. He was wondering what was taking her so long when his cell phone rang. He reached for it and flipped it open "Stabler," he answered.

"Elliot," Cragen began, not stopping to waste time on meaningless pleasantries "Two of JJ's prior victims have turned up dead."

"What?" Elliot asked even as he got out of the car and began to walk quickly to the video store "Murdered?" he asked.

"Yes," Cragen said softly "Is Olivia with you?"

"Yes… well not really," Elliot smiled and nodded his appreciation to a woman who held the door open for him.

"What do you mean 'not really'?" Cragen asked, feeling his heart began to beat faster.

"She's renting some videos," Elliot told him as he scanned the different sections of the store for her.

"Well find her," Cragen barked.

Elliot's eyes darted from section to section until he finally spotted her "There she is," he whispered with relief. He ran to her and before she'd even noticed his presence, he had pulled her into his arms "Thank God," he murmured, having completely forgotten about Cragen on the other end of the phone.

Olivia looked up at him surprised "Elliot?" she asked "Is everything all right?"

"I'll tell you in the car," he said quickly. At that moment he remembered Cragen on the other end of the phone "I'll talk to you later Cap," he said quickly as he flipped the phone closed.

Olivia looked at him skeptically "What did Cragen want?" she asked, completely unaware of the fact that her life was now in imminent danger.

"I'll tell you later," Elliot said, a hint of urgency in his voice "Did you find a movie?"

Olivia nodded, holding up copy of 'We Were Soldiers' and a copy of 'Gladiator' "Yeah," she told him with a small smile.

"Okay," Elliot said as he nearly dragged her to the cash register "Let's go."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" she asked curiously as she pulled out her wallet.

"I can't say right now," he told her in a whisper, looking around at the faces in the crowded store, searching for one face in particular, the face of the man who threatened to take from him the person he loved most in the entire world.

Olivia caught the meaning in his words and although she didn't completely understand, she was instantly nervous "Okay," she agreed softly.

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Anna Gibson walked home confidently from the grocery store. She turned onto her street; it was deserted this time of day with most of its occupants at work but Anna wasn't nearly as afraid as she had been four years ago. Four years, sometimes she couldn't believe that it had been four years. She tightened her grip on her five year old daughter Molly's hand as they approached her building. Four years ago Molly had been sleeping peacefully in the next room. She had thought she had found a man who would take care of them both but she had been wrong. The man had only taken what he wanted from her and after that, she couldn't see him anymore.

She reached into her pocket for her keys when she felt a hand clamp over her mouth. She released Molly's hand as she tried to fight the man off. She managed to get away from him long enough to scream "Run Molly!" before the man dragged Anna into an ally.

The little girl did what her mother asked even though she was reluctant to do so. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her but she had no idea where she was going.

Anna stared up into the eyes of the man who lay on top of her "You," she hissed angrily "You stay away from me."

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhh Anna," JJ told her "Trust me dearest. We will all be together soon. You, me and Molly," he pulled out his knife and stabbed Anna in the shoulder just as he had done to the others.


	9. Chapter 8: Requiem Of Samantha Wells

**Trust Me **

**Chapter 8: Requiem Of Samantha Wells**

Chloe Price loved her Saturdays. She relished any day that didn't consist of answering phones for her crotchety old boss or running all over the city at his beck and call to find this or that. She strolled down the sidewalk with a feeling of freedom and unlike those dreaded week days, today she smiled for real. She approached the small café and pushed the door open. She saw her friends Nicole Simmons and Caroline Littlefield had already staked out a table by the window.

"Hey guys," she said with a smile as she slid into the remaining empty chair.

"Hi Chloe," the other two young women said in unison.

"I hope I'm not running late," Chloe told her friends.

"No," Caroline reassured her "Only a couple minutes no big deal."

"Try telling that to my boss," Chloe sighed "I swear, yesterday I came back only like thirty seconds late from my lunch break and he was so angry at me."

"You should find another job so you don't have to deal with that jerk," Nicole mused.

"Easier said than done," Chloe put her head in her hands. All of a sudden something outside caught her eye "Hey guys," she said softly, pointing out the window "Who's that little kid?"

Nicole and Caroline both leaned forward. Caroline was first to speak "I'm not sure," she whispered thoughtfully.

"She looks lost," Nicole observed.

Chloe got up from the table "I'll be right back," she told the other two women. She walked outside and up to the little girl who was sitting cross legged on the ground, leaning against a trash can. Chloe extended her hand to the child "Hi," she said warmly "Are you lost?"

If there was one thing that Anna Gibson had taught her daughter it was never to trust or talk to strangers. So when Molly looked up at Chloe, she didn't say a word.

Chloe cleared her throat and sat down beside the child on the cold ground "My name's Chloe, what's yours?"

Molly still said nothing and she scooted a few inches away from Chloe. She would get up and keep running but she had been running for so long now that she was exhausted. Besides, she had nowhere to run to.

"It's cold out here," Chloe feigned a shiver, knowing that the little girl must be freezing "Wanna come inside with me and get something to eat?"

Molly shook her head, even though she was incredibly cold and incredibly hungry.

"Where's your mommy or daddy?" Chloe asked.

Molly wasn't sure. She didn't know where she was and she didn't know how to get back to her house. She was alone and scared and this lady wouldn't stop talking to her.

Chloe gave Molly a small smile "Let's see if we can find your mommy," she said softly as she stood up and extended a hand down to the child. Molly just sat there, staring blankly ahead. Chloe sat back down beside Molly and pulled out her cell phone. The police would have a better idea of what to do in this situation "I'm gonna call someone to come help you find your mommy," she explained to Molly.

Molly knocked the phone out of Chloe's hands. Her mother didn't trust anyone and by extension Molly didn't either. The little girl didn't know much but she knew that she didn't want more people around.

Chloe picked her phone off the ground "Is there some reason you don't want to go home?" she asked.

No there wasn't, Molly wanted to go home and see her mother but Anna had told her to run and she always did what her mother told her. She wasn't sure that she was supposed to go home.

Chloe felt the wind picking up and looked at the little girl; she was wearing a purple winter coat but she didn't have mittens or a hat. Chloe knew that the child had to be frozen, even in the slight shelter that the trash can provided. She reached out to the little girl who was to cold and tired to move away this time "It's getting colder," she said softly "Let's go inside and get you warmed up," Chloe intended to call the police once the girl was inside and getting warmed up; the child's lips were turning blue "Come on," Chloe lifted the little girl into her arms.

"No," Molly moaned "No, no, no."

"It's okay," Chloe said as she opened the door to the café and brought Molly over to the table where Nicole and Caroline sat "You wait here," she told Molly as she set her down in the seat that Chloe herself had previously occupied "These are my friends," she explained, pointing to one and then the other "This is Nicole and this is Caroline," she stood up "Guys can you keep an eye on her while I call the police?"

Caroline and Nicole nodded and Chloe turned to make her phone call. Chloe Price loved Saturdays. The chance to live outside of the humdrum of her weekday life and experience the unexpected was thrilling to her. But as she dialed the number, she couldn't help thinking that this was perhaps just a little too unexpected.

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"Please don't tell me we've got another one?" Fin sighed as he and Munch ducked under the police tape at the mouth of the ally.

"Wish I could," Melinda looked up at them as they approached "But it's the same thing."

"He doesn't attack them outside," Munch muttered "Everything we know about him so far shows that he surprises them in their homes."

"Maybe he's getting desperate," Fin interjected.

Melinda showed them the old scar on the inside of the woman's thigh "Whatever the case, this is one of his past victims and she died just like the others."

"Detectives," a young uniformed officer ran up to them "Her name is Anna Gibson. Her neighbor says that she and her daughter live alone."

"Daughter?" Fin and Munch asked in unison.

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"Molly Gibson, five years old," Munch pinned the child's most recent school photo to the evidence board.

"Do you think JJ took her?" Cragen asked.

"We're not sure," Fin put in "It doesn't seem to be part of him MO but none of the other victims had kids."

"And his MO seems to be flexible in some ways," Munch muttered, referring to the fact that the victim had been killed in an ally in broad daylight.

"Every cop on the island of Manhattan knows that we're looking for this kid," Fin told the captain "Hopefully we'll find her before JJ can do anything to her."

Cragen's phone began to ring and he answered it. After a few moments he hung up and turned to his detectives "A woman named Chloe Price found our missing girl outside a café in midtown."

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Ever since they had gotten home, Olivia had been silent. They had put the groceries together as the silence threatened to crush them. When Elliot had told her in the car that JJ was killing his past victims, she had gotten a profoundly sad look in her eyes as she drove back to his house. Elliot knew that she was blaming herself somehow for all of this, that she was wishing that she could have stopped JJ all those years ago and thinking that if she had, those women would still be alive.

When they had finally sat down to watch the movie, Elliot had wrapped his arms around her tight, almost not wanting to ever let go again. He had been so afraid when Cragen had told him what was going on that he had nearly lost all sense of reason and rational thought. Now he just didn't want to let her out of his sight. The others had no idea how many more of JJ's victims there were out there let alone who they were; all they could do was keep looking and all Elliot could do was protect the only one of JJ's victims that he knew about.

Every small creak that the house made, due to the wind or the foundation settling, sent Elliot's heart racing. He kept his gun within reach while he sat on the couch, trying not to get so deeply lost in the plot of 'We Were Soldiers' that he couldn't be ready in case he needed to be. He kept picturing JJ breaking through a window and catching them both off guard. Elliot kept picturing the most horrifying scenarios in which he didn't quickly enough. All he could do was keep his gun with in easy reach and hold on to Olivia as if his life depended on it when in his mind he was nearly convinced that hers did.

The movie ended but neither moved for a long time. Elliot looked down and felt the need to break the silence "I won't let him get near you," he promised softly.

Olivia looked up at him and for the first time in hours she spoke "It's not me I'm worried about," she told him in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I know," Elliot responded "But we don't know who his other victims are. Munch and Fin are going through everything from his house with CSU to see if they can find any clues but… Sometimes Olivia, all you can do is wait."

"I hate this," she half screamed as she stood up "Why don't they just bring him in already?"

"They can't find him," Elliot told her as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her once more "Every cop in the city is keeping a look out for him."

Olivia pulled reluctantly out of Elliot's embrace "Well they should be looking harder," she muttered angrily.

"They're gonna find him," Elliot said firmly, trying to convince himself as much as Olivia.

"I hope so," she said as she sank, defeated, onto the couch once more and flipped to the five o'clock news.

The media finally broke the story about JJ. His picture flashed on screen and the reporter was saying that the police were looking for anyone who knew this individual.

"They're getting desperate," Elliot murmured. He knew that if the police had gone to the media that it couldn't be good. Subconsciously, Elliot reached for his gun, just to make sure it was still there.

"This is bad," Olivia agreed softly. She stood up "You want some dinner?" she asked as she headed towards the kitchen.

"Sure," Elliot said as he followed her closely "I'll help you."

Olivia turned to look at him "I'm just going to be in the kitchen," she reminded him "It's not like I'm gonna disappear."

Elliot nodded even though he was afraid of just that "I still want to help," he smiled at her, remembering how much he had enjoyed making breakfast with her.

"Okay," Olivia conceded, pulling him gently into the kitchen "What should we have?" she asked him as she opened the recently replenished refrigerator.

"Let's make cheeseburgers," Elliot said as he too looked at the contents of the fridge.

Olivia removed the pack of hamburger meet from the fridge and put it in the microwave to defrost "Sounds good to me," she smiled as she brushed a chaste kiss over Elliot's lips.

Elliot pulled her to him and kissed her again. His hand found its way to the back of her head as the kiss deepened. They stood like that for some time before the beeping of the microwave told them that the meet was defrosted. He separated and smiled at her "I love you," he whispered. He had to let her know it as many times as he possibly could; he wanted to know that she knew it, needed to know that she believed him when he said it.

"I love you too," she said as she gave him another quick kiss and opened the microwave door.

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"She was just sitting there," Chloe Price told Munch "She didn't say a word. It was so cold outside so I brought her inside with me," she explained "Oh my God," she whispered "I can't believe that someone…" she trailed off "Is she okay?" she asked, referring to Molly.

"She'll be fine," Munch told Chloe "Someone from ACS is coming to pick her up," Munch turned back to the topic at hand "Did you see anyone suspicious near the café around the time that Molly showed up?"

Chloe shook her head "No, no there wasn't anyone else around today."

Munch stood up "Thank you for your time," he said to Chloe "If you remember anything," he slid his card across the table to her.

"Yes," Chloe took the card and slipped it into her pocket "Thank you Detective Munch." Munch opened the door of the interview room for her and the two walked out into the hallway.

Molly Gibson was slapping away the hands of the ACS case worker as the woman tried to zip up the little girl's coat "No," Molly said firmly. Then Molly spotted Chloe. If Molly had to choose who she would rather be near at that moment, it would be the nice woman who had brought her inside when she was cold instead of the strange woman who told her to come with her but didn't say why or where they were going "Chloe!" Molly squealed as she ran towards the young woman and wrapped her arms tightly around her legs.

Chloe looked down "Hi there Molly," she smiled as she bent down so that she could see eye to eye with the little girl "How you feeling?" she asked "All warmed up now?"

Molly nodded then turned and pointed to the ACS case worker "Mean lady," she whispered.

"I'm sure she's not a mean lady," Chloe told her as she took Molly's hand and walked over to the case worker "Hi," she extended her hand to the woman "What's your name?"

"Megan," the woman responded.

"Nice to meet you Megan," Chloe said graciously then turned to Molly "Your turn," she told the child.

Molly shrugged and begrudgingly extended a small hand "Nice to meet you Megan," she muttered.

Chloe knelt down beside Molly again "Megan's gonna take you some place where you'll be warm and safe and where nice people will take care of you."

"Don't wanna go," Molly wrapped her arms around Chloe's neck "Can I stay with you?"

"No," Chloe whispered as she ran a hand over the small girl's back "But I'll come visit you. Would you like that?" she asked.

Molly smiled brightly "Yeah," she said happily.

"Okay," Chloe told her "Now I have to go home and you need to go with Megan."

Molly nodded and turned to Megan "Let's go," she said simply. The social worker and the little girl left and Chloe was left standing there in awe of how innocent and pure a child's affection is.

"You're good with kids," Munch observed.

Chloe stood up from the floor "Yeah," she answered "Well I know what they want to here when they're about to be shipped off to foster care."

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Julia Duncan sat watching the news when suddenly a face that haunted her nightmares flashed on the screen. She listened numbly to the story and when it was over, she reached for the phone. She dialed the number that had been given and waited for someone to answer. It didn't take long for someone to pick up on the other end "Hello," she began softly.

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It had been fifteen years since Samantha Wells had been attacked. Three years after that night, she found someone that she truly loved and he helped to heal the many wounds of her soul. They had had three beautiful children together but only months after their youngest, Hunter, was born, Charles died in a car crash.

Samantha had tried to move on after her lover's death but had found it hard. It had after all only been five months since her husband's passing. She still couldn't accept the fact that he would miss Hunter's first birthday or that he would miss Jennifer's solo in the holiday concert at school or that he couldn't be there when Dylan scored the winning goal for his soccer team.

These and other thoughts ran through her head as she carried ten month old Hunter to his room and laid him in his crib. She dropped a kiss to the top of his head "Good night my angel," she whispered "I love you."

She left Hunter's room and crossed the hall to peek in on Jenny. The four year old sat up in bed when she heard her mother enter "Mommy," she said groggily.

"Its okay sweetie," Samantha smiled softly at her only daughter "Go back to sleep baby."

Jenny nodded and lay back down in her bed "Night Mommy," she yawned "Love you."

"Love you too pumpkin," Samantha whispered as she pulled the blankets up around her daughter's shoulders and kissed her forehead.

Samantha walked into the living room of the apartment where her oldest, Dylan, sat watching TV. She smiled as the ten year old looked up at her and tried to stifle the loud yawn that erupted "Fifteen more minutes and then you have to go to bed," Samantha told him.

"Okay Mom," Dylan agreed. He turned back to the television when the sound of breaking glass caused both mother and son to jump.

**A/N: Okay, this is my last update before Christmas. Aren't I a doll? LOL. Anyway… I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review.**


	10. Chapter 9: On One Condition

**Trust Me**

**Chapter 9: On One Condition**

**A/N: Here's another chapter of this story. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and I would really appreciate your feedback. You guys are awesome! I love all of my wonderful reviewers.**

Officers broke down the front door or Samantha's apartment and caught JJ in the middle of his sadistic ritual "Freeze!" one of the officers shouted as he pointed his gun at JJ. JJ dropped Samantha's already limp body and turned to face the officer with shock clear in his eyes "Hands up," the officer commanded and JJ who was to shocked to do much else, complied.

"She's got a pulse," the other officer looked up at his partner as the other man cuffed JJ.

The first officer radioed for a bus and backup "You'd better hope she lives," he muttered to JJ.

"She's not the first," JJ said simply "And she won't be the last."

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Elliot rolled over in bed to answer his phone. He tried to be careful not to wake Olivia although she already had woken up, at first fearing that it was her phone. Elliot grabbed the offending object from the nightstand "Stabler," he grumbled as soon as he flipped it open.

"Elliot," it was John "They caught him."

Elliot breathed a sigh of relief "When? How?" his mind was racing with questions. Beside him, Olivia shifted in an effort to hear the other side of the conversation; she could tell that something was up.

"Little boy called 911 earlier this evening," John began "He said a bad man was hurting his mom. The officers that responded to the scene caught him in the act."

Elliot breathed yet another sigh of relief and thanked God that JJ had managed to mess up. He looked beside him at Olivia who was straining to hear. He could tell by the look on her face that she had indeed heard what John had said. He leaned in and brushed a kiss across her lips as he brought his other arm around her waist.

"They took the woman to St. Elizabeth's hospital," John continued "The kid and his sister and brother are with their grandmother in Queens."

"Sounds like a happy ending," Elliot concluded, knowing that that little boy was a hero and hadn't just saved his mother's life.

"Not quite," John said, his voice dropping in volume slightly as if he knew that Olivia would be trying to eves drop on the conversation "He wants to make a full confession," John took a deep breath "The only thing is that… he'll only confess to… Olivia."

Olivia slid away from Elliot and got out of the bed. She had heard what John had said and she didn't think she wanted to hear anymore of either side of this conversation. She walked to the door of the room and looked back at Elliot. She knew that he would object to this and she was thankful for that. Truthfully the idea of facing JJ scared her senseless. But she needed to get justice for those women he hurt. She left the room and went downstairs to think long and hard about all of this.

"We don't need a full confession," Elliot objected, instantly missing the feeling of Olivia's warm body pressed against his.

"I'm with you Elliot," John said "I don't want to let that bastard within a thousand miles of her either but there are still other victims out there."

Elliot nodded "I'll ask her," he said quietly, knowing that she would most likely say yes, no matter how she felt about it and he fully intended to try and talk her out of it "I'll call you back," he told John.

"Okay," John said "Good luck."

"Thanks," Elliot murmured as he hung up and got out of the bed. He moved into the hall and to the top of the stairs. He could see the faint light from the TV in the living room drifting up to meet him. He walked into the living room and saw Olivia sitting on the couch in front of the TV with her head in her hands. He sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her "They caught him," he whispered "It's over."

"I know," she turned to face him "But it isn't over. Not for all of those other women that could possibly be out there."

"You don't have to do this you know," Elliot told her.

"Yes I do," she told him as the tears gathered in her eyes "Who knows how many other women are out there and those women deserve justice. If it means I have to spend ten minutes in a room with that man then," she took his hand in hers "I'm willing to do that."

"We'll get him to tell us some other way," Elliot said. He was ready to beg to keep her away from this guy.

"How are you going to do that Elliot?" she asked, her voice rising as she stood up "Casey gives him a deal and then in five years he's out on parole and out there attacking some other woman who doesn't even know what's happening until it's too late to stop him!" she was crying unchecked now "I can't let him get away. Not again."

Elliot wrapped his arms around her and held her close "We'll find a way Liv," he promised as he ran a hand through her hair "There has to be another way."

"I went there to kill him," she whispered, burying her face in his chest.

"I know," Elliot whispered back. He had known from the second he had seen the address on her computer screen.

"I have to do this Elliot," she whispered "I have to face him. I have to make sure that he can't do this to anyone else."

"I know," Elliot admitted softly. He knew that no matter how much he begged her, he wouldn't be able to stop her. He walked with her to the front door. He cleared his throat "You still have to drive for the next day or so," he reminded her.

She smiled faintly up at him "I remember," she told him as they walked out to the car.

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"He's just been sitting in there," John murmured as Olivia and Elliot entered the observation area where Munch, Fin, Cragen and Casey stood "Hasn't even asked for a lawyer. He's just sitting there, waiting."

"He knows that I'm coming. He knows he's left me with no choice," Olivia's voice was strangely calm.

Everyone turned to face her. Casey was the first to speak "You didn't have to come."

"Yes I did," Olivia told her as she approached the door of the interrogation room.

Just as her hand reached for the knob Elliot touched her shoulder. She turned to face him and he leaned close "Please let me go in with you?"

"Elliot," she sighed; she would love nothing more to have him by her side when she did this but… "I have to do this on my own," she told him.

Elliot conceded reluctantly "If you need me," he began "I'll be in there in two seconds. Just say the word."

"What's the word?" she asked unable to resist as a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Transubstantiation?" he suggested.

"Catholic school rearing its ugly head?" she asked with a now visible grin on her lips.

"Guess so," Elliot shrugged. He looked around him nervously and was glad to see that no one was watching them. He leaned in and gave Olivia a quick kiss "I love you," he whispered "Please be careful."

Olivia nodded and turned back to the door of the interrogation room. She took a deep breath and tried to prepare herself. She opened the door and stepped inside.

JJ looked in her direction and smiled "Hi," he said gently "I knew you would show up. It's good to see you again."

Olivia took a deep breath again, willing her heart to dislodge itself from her throat and return to its proper place in her chest. After a few seconds, it finally obeyed. She took a seat across from JJ "You wanted to talk to me?" she began in a tone that hid her fear well.

JJ leaned forward "Yeah," he smiled.

Olivia had been informed of the facts of the case by Munch over the phone and as she stared JJ down, she could still see a rim of what she assumed to be Samantha Wells' blood around his mouth. It made her sick to her stomach "Get to the point," she hissed, discomfort only showing slightly through her façade.

"Aren't you glad to see me?" JJ asked, feigning disappointment "I've been thinking about you all day."

Olivia tried not to gulp. For a moment she thought about just shouting 'Transubstantiation' for no reason just so Elliot would be standing next to her. Having Elliot beside her was warm and comfortable. Being in this interrogation room with JJ was like freezing to death slowly. She leaned forward in her seat "Start talking tough guy."

**A/N: It's gonna get even more intense next chapter I promise you. I hope everyone had a happy holiday. Please review and I'll try to update soon. Thanks all of you beautiful readers and reviewers, I love ya'll.**


	11. Chapter 10: When You Fall

**Trust Me**

**Chapter 10: When You Fall**

"Where should I start?" JJ asked as he gazed at Olivia with an intensity that made her stomach twist into knots.

"Wherever you want," she told him as she crossed her arms on the table in front of her. To conduct a successful interrogation, the perp can never see you sweat. You can't let him know that he's getting to you or you've lost. Olivia fought to hide the fact that she was terrified to be in the same room with this man.

"Hmm," JJ began contemplatively "Let's start with how I ended up getting caught. Would you like to here that story Olivia?"

"Sure," Olivia said, attempting to sound nonchalant and very nearly failing.

"Samantha Wells," JJ mused, closing his eyes as a blissful expression came over his face "I went to her tonight. It's been fifteen years you know. I went to her to bring her peace."

"Peace?" Olivia exclaimed incredulously as she stood to her feet "You stabbed her and sucked her blood while you raped her."

JJ looked at Olivia and smiled "Her blood wasn't as sweet as yours Olivia. No one before you or after you ever was."

Olivia found her legs buckle beneath her and she collapsed heavily into her seat. She tried to compose herself and after a few moments, she had. She took a deep breath "Why did you go to her tonight?" she asked.

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Elliot shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. He didn't like this. He wanted to be in there beside her. He couldn't stand to watch this but he knew that she would hold it against him forever. He wanted nothing more than to run in there if only to intimidate JJ into silence for a moment. He couldn't stand this.

"Come on," Casey was whispering nervously to herself "We need names, just get the names."

Elliot turned to look at Casey. He almost wanted to shout at her. He didn't know why. Perhaps it was just all the frustration of having to stand outside and look in as Olivia tried to get a full confession from a man who had brutalized her. He turned back to watching what was going on in the interrogation room.

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"I went to Carina because I saw her outside the courthouse," JJ was saying "She betrayed me but I still love her."

"You killed her," Olivia stated.

"I gave her peace," JJ corrected "They're all there waiting for me when the time comes. I'm not going to go to jail until I'm assured that they're waiting for me."

"Waiting?" Olivia had an idea of what JJ was talking about and the thought made her ill.

"They all belong to me," JJ told her "You and the others are mine. I won't live in jail. I'll go but I won't stay. When the time comes, I want you all to be waiting for me," and in a second he was out of his seat. He had slipped his cuffs and pulled a razor out of his pocket.

Olivia dodged his first attempted. It turned out that she never had to say the word; Elliot was in there the second that JJ was on his feet. Elliot grabbed for JJ and got his hand sliced open by the razor blade. JJ stared Elliot down coldly; in his mind, Elliot was the only thing standing between him and what he desired. He took another swipe at him with the razor blade but Elliot backed away just in time. In his haste however, he tripped and fell to the floor. Olivia rushed to help him to his feet as Munch and Fin rushed JJ.

"You all right?" she asked as she looked him up and down.

He smiled faintly at her "Yeah, are you?"

She returned his smile as tears gathered in her eyes "Yeah," she whispered "I'm fine. Thanks," she helped him to his feet "Let's go get you to an ER to get that hand looked at," she led him from the room.

"Why didn't the arresting officers check this jackass for weapons?" Fin muttered angrily as he and Munch dragged JJ from the room.

Cragen watched in disgust. He turned to Casey "I think we got enough out of him," he said simply as he turned and walked to his office.

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Olivia pulled into the parking lot of the emergency room at the hospital. She turned to Elliot who sat with a large wad of paper towels around his hand "How does it feel?" she asked softly.

"It's not that bad," Elliot responded as they got out of the car.

"I could have handled him myself," Olivia said as they walked together into the waiting room.

"I know you could have," Elliot said, taking her hand in his uninjured one as he went to the desk and signed in.

Olivia waited until they were sitting side by side in the uncomfortable chairs before she spoke again "You shouldn't have done it," she whispered as she touched his swaddled hand gingerly.

"I wasn't gonna risk it," he whispered. He hadn't wanted her to go in there by herself in the first place. No cop would sit back and watch their partner be attacked by a mad man but when your partner was also the woman you loved, there was no moving fast enough. There was no way that he could expse such intimate feelings in such a public place though. He felt guilty that he had let her set foot in that room in the first place, even though he knew there would have been no stopping her, there never was when she had set her mind to something. He just wished she wouldn't set her mind always to such self destructive things.

It was two in the morning before they got back to Elliot's. The cut in his hand had required ten stitches and Olivia felt more and more guilt for each one. She had walked out of that interrogation room without a scratch. In her mind, that was not how it was supposed to have happened.

As soon as they had taken off their jackets, Elliot wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close "I love you," he whispered as every horrible scenario of how things in the interrogation room could have gone horribly wrong played through his head.

"I love you too," she whispered as she picked up his injured hand in hers "I'm so sorry."

"No," he corrected softly "Don't apologize for what isn't your fault."

She pulled out of his embrace and turned away "But it is," she told him softly as she walked upstairs. She stared at the clothes that she had brought from her apartment and remembered that she couldn't leave yet because she needed to keep an eye on Elliot because of his concussion, an injure that she remembered was also her fault.

Elliot came up behind her and touched her shoulder gently. She turned ever so slightly in his direction "Please don't blame yourself," he whispered "I would do anything for you."

Tears sprang to Olivia's eyes. She would do anything for him too. His simple admission broke down the last of both their defenses and they collapsed into each other's arms, holding onto one another for dear life, crying as the fear of losing the one they loved came crashing down hard.

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They awoke the next morning still in each other's arms. It felt so right to them to be there. Olivia was the first to open her eyes. She looked up into Elliot's still sleeping face "Hey," she whispered softly.

He opened his eyes and smiled "Good morning," he said as he kissed her. They lay like that for a few more minutes before Elliot spoke again "Our last day off," he reminded her "What do you want to do?"

Olivia sat up in bed "JJ's trial starts today," she stated. She felt like she needed to be there; she felt like she owed it to those unknown victims whose names she had failed to get.

Elliot sat up beside her "Liv," he began "You don't-"

"Yes Elliot," she turned and placed a finger over his lips "I have to be there."

Elliot sighed heavily. He didn't like the idea of Olivia ever being in the same room with this creep again, even if it was a courtroom and even if he was with her. He knew that there was no way that he could convince her not to go so he simply nodded "You want pancakes?" he asked as he got out of the bed.

"Yeah," she smiled at him. She knew he didn't like this idea and she loved him for supporting her "Thanks," she whispered.

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"If he so much as looks at you funny," Elliot muttered as they walked into the courthouse. He had become increasingly on edge the closer they had gotten to this moment. He didn't want anything to happen to Olivia and he would do anything to protect her.

"Elliot," Olivia murmured soothingly "Take it easy. It'll be fine."

As they took seats in the gallery, Elliot noticed Casey talking to someone. He leaned close to Olivia "Who do you think that is?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Olivia said. Her eyes scanned the gallery and spotted many unfamiliar faces. Although this was not unusual, the women all looked the way that Olivia felt; like they were facing something that they felt like they had no choice but to face.

The court fell silent and Casey stepped forward "Your honor," she began "The people would like to amend the list of charges against Jason Jameson."

The judge nodded and accepted the paper from Casey. The judge, Casey and opposing council exchanged a few hushed words that neither Elliot nor Olivia could here before the lawyers returned to their respective positions.

"You may call your first witness Ms. Novak," the judge informed Casey.

"The people call Julia Duncan," Casey said and the woman who Elliot and Olivia had seen her talking to earlier stepped forward and took the witness stand. Casey approached Julia "Please state your name for the record," she began in a comforting tone.

"Julia Elizabeth Duncan," the young woman began shakily.

"And how old are you Ms. Duncan?" Casey asked.

"I'm twenty four," Julia spoke quietly, rarely looking up and when she did, always looking at Casey.

"Oh my God," Olivia whispered as she recognized the behavior instantly. She turned to Elliot and saw that he had noticed the same thing.

"Could you please tell the court," Casey began "How is it that you know the defendant, Jason Jameson?"

Julia cleared her throat nervously and looked quickly up at Casey before her eyes went back to the wood grain of the witness stand. She began to say something very quietly.

"Could the witness please speak up?" the judge said as he tilted his head; he was hard of hearing.

"Come on honey," Olivia whispered "You can do it," she silently rooted for the young woman on the witness stand.

"I met him in mid 2005," Julia began with a little more confidence than before "We dated for about six months," she looked down again, trying to compose herself "One night, he came over and he… he told me to trust him but I told him to stop," she was beginning to babble.

"What happened, Julia?" Casey pressed gently.

"He raped me," she said finally.

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After three days of testimony from JJ's surviving victims, including Olivia, the jury only took three minutes to come back with a verdict, guilty on all counts. The conviction brought a sense of closure to the women who had carried their painful secret for so long.

Elliot had sat beside Olivia for the entire trial and held her hand during the moments when the testimony had become too much for her. He knew that she still felt guilty that women had been hurt after she had been. JJ had chosen his victims carefully. They were women who had chosen to work in male dominated professions; he had known that they would be far too ashamed to come forward even before he started to date them.

"Jason Jameson," the judge began as he sentenced the despicable man in front of him "This court sentences you to life in prison, without the possibility of parole."

Elliot and Olivia walked out of court side by side. Olivia looked at the faces of all the women who had come forward to see justice finally done. She smiled at Samantha Wells who had made a full recovery and had been the last to testify against JJ before the prosecution rested. Samantha returned Olivia's smile as she shifted Hunter in her arms so that she could give the other woman an awkward one armed hug.

"You'll be coming to his birthday party?" she asked as they separated.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Olivia smiled. Over only a few short days, these women had bonded. They were helping each other heal in ways they didn't even know.

"You'll be there too Elliot?" Samantha asked with a knowing smile. She was glad that Olivia had someone who could help her to trust again the way that Charlie had helped her.

"Of course," Elliot shook Samantha's outstretched hand.

Olivia took a step towards Julia. She embraced the younger woman warmly "Thank you," she whispered. Julia had been braver than Olivia could have ever hoped to be. A year after her attack, Olivia could barely stand to look at herself in the mirror.

Elliot stood back and watched the women interacting. They were all so strong and brave. He knew that JJ had been wrong when he told Olivia in that interrogation room that he owned them all. They were their own women and they would never belong to that man.

Elliot reached into his pocket, making sure that the item that he had purchased the day before hadn't fallen out; he was extremely paranoid about this. He stepped forward "Ready to go?" he asked Olivia.

She nodded "Yeah," she turned and said her goodbyes to the women before following Elliot to the car.

**A/N: Not over yet.**


	12. Chapter 11: Meaning

**Trust Me**

**Chapter 11: Meaning**

**A/N: There's an epilogue after this and then the story will be complete.**

"The city looks so peaceful from up here," Olivia sighed as she leaned on the side of the precinct roof.

"Thanks to you and the others," Elliot said as he leaned down beside her "Tonight it is a little more peaceful."

Olivia turned to him as the moisture gathered in her eyes "Gor how long?" she whispered "How long before the next sick freak shows up and ruins someone else's life?"

He pulled her with him into a standing position "Then we'll just catch him too," he said as he kissed her softly.

"We'll never catch them all," she said, pulling away and turning from him "They're always gonna be out there, waiting in the shadows for the next conquest to reveal itself."

Elliot took a step towards her "This job sucks sometimes," he told her as he took her hand "It's been hell for me for years now but you know what makes it easier?"

"What?" she asked, not exactly caring at that moment; she felt to bitter with human nature at that moment to care.

"You," he dropped to his knee in front of her "Olivia," he began as he looked up at her and couldn't help smiling at the astonished expression on her face "I brought you up here to ask you something important."

Olivia smiled softly, her faith in at least one member of the human race remaining strong "Just how important is this question?" she asked teasingly.

"I'm pretty sure my life depends on it," Elliot told her through a slight grin.

"Oh," Olivia said as she bent her head so that it was level with his "Well, if its that important then maybe-"

Elliot covered her lips with his finger "I love you but could you just shut up for a second?" he asked in a lighthearted tone even though he could feel his heart beating so fast that he was almost sure that it would jump out of his body and go to a dance club to work off all its extra energy.

Olivia nodded and smiled as she waited patiently. She wanted to laugh at how nervous Elliot looked all of a sudden. She saw him reaching into his pocket and struggling to pull something out. Her slender fingers skillfully eclipsed his and pulled out the small box "This what you wanted?" she asked as she dropped it into his hand.

"Yeah," Elliot laughed nervously, feeling like a complete idiot. He opened the small box to reveal a ring that he had known from the moment that he saw it was perfect. It was elegant and not to flashy. He knew that Olivia would love it and when he saw the look in her eyes, it only confirmed what he had been so sure of. He fell silent just looking into her eyes.

"Weren't you going to ask me something?" she reminded him softly with a small nudge.

"Oh… oh yeah," he stumbled over his words and Olivia couldn't help giggling "Are you laughing at me?" he asked as he leaned forward so their lips were only millimeters apart.

"Uh-huh," she smiled brightly "What are you gonna do about it?"

"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do about it," he took her hand in his "Olivia, will you marry me?" he slid the ring on her finger.

"Yes," she told him as she pulled him to his feet and kissed him. She pulled away and looked at him "Do you propose to all the girls who laugh at you?" she asked.

"Just the really pretty ones," he said as he kissed her again.

"I can live with that," Olivia smiled.

The two had very little time to enjoy the moment in peace however because the door to the roof opened and a pile of eves droppers spilled out onto the roof "Congratulations!" Casey yelled as she ran up and hugged Olivia. Munch and Fin clapped Elliot on the back as they congratulated the happy couple.

Elliot and Olivia simply stared at their impatient friends when Cragen came out onto the roof "What are you all doing out here?" he asked, looking pointedly at Munch and Fin "We have a job to do you know."

"Like you weren't the one who suggested that we follow them," Casey retorted as she collapsed in laughter against Munch's shoulder.

Elliot grabbed Olivia's hand "I think we're just gonna go home now," he said simply, trying not to burst out laughing at the look on Cragen's face after Casey had sold him out.

"Why so soon?" Munch asked "I've got cupcakes downstairs."

"No thanks John," Olivia said with a sideways glance at Elliot "It's been a long day and I think we just need a good night's sleep." As the two left the roof they heard a lot of giggling and not just from Casey.

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"I wish I had a tape recorder," Olivia laughed as she fell onto the bed later that night "I'd love to show Fin just what he sounds like as a giggling school girl."

"I know," Elliot lay down beside her "They're grown men for God's sake," he chuckled.

"They're just happy for us," Olivia smiled as she kissed the corner of his mouth "Can you blame them?"

"No," he smiled softly at her "I'm happy for us."

"Me too," she agreed "But Casey really is a bad influence on all of them."

"True," Elliot rolled so that he was fully facing Olivia "But I thought she said it was Cragen who put them all up to listening in on us."

Olivia propped her hands behind her head as she lay back on the pillow "They're just all a bunch of goofs," she decided.

"So can we elope and just not tell them about it?" Elliot asked teasingly.

"Somehow I don't think we'd get away with that one," she told him as she rolled on top of him and kissed him "We're just going to have to accept that our goofy friends are coming to our wedding."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Elliot admitted.

"Same here," Olivia sighed contentedly as Elliot wrapped his arms around her. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so happy and she didn't think that there had ever been a time that she had felt so much like she belonged anywhere. The man beside her was the love of her life. Her heart had started to heal at last. She had loved before and been hurt before. She had sworn that she would never trust anyone after that night but slowly, he had worked his way into her life until he was as essential to her as the air she breathed and she knew she didn't want it to be andy other way.

As they lay together, Olivia's hand slowly slid down Elliot's body until she was stroking him through his boxers. He gasped in surprise "Liv," he moaned. She kissed him and lay back upon the bed. Soon they both lay naked together. Elliot looked down into her eyes as he supported his weight above her. He knew he was ready but he didn't want to hurt her "Are you sure?" he asked, hoping that if they did this, it would indeed mean something.

Olivia looked up into his face with nothing but love. She nodded and smiled "It's okay Elliot," she said in a voice that was low and full of desire "I trust you."


	13. Epilogue: Family

**Trust Me**

**Epilogue: Family**

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride," all assembled watched as Elliot and Olivia shared a very deep, very long kiss. The priest cleared his throat after a few seconds and they separated with nervous laughter filling the air.

"Sorry father," Elliot said quietly as he turned his full attention back to the priest.

"Don't apologize," Father Denis smiled at the happy couple "Now get out of here," he gave Elliot a gentle push towards his new wife.

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"To Elliot and Olivia," John held his glass high as he gave a toast "May your marriage last longer than all of mine put together." Light laughter filled the room as he sat down again.

"Wow," Olivia whispered to her husband "That was… a little odd."

"At least he got through it without mentioning JFK," Elliot whispered back with a grin and they both laughed.

Cragen stood up next. He cleared his throat as he looked at the two best detectives that he had ever had under his command. He knew that their marriage would last far longer and be far more fruitful than any other. He knew this simply because he knew them. He could tell for months before the Jameson case began that they loved each other. He looked around and realized that everyone was still waiting for him to say something. He cleared his throat again, slightly embarrassed. The truth was he wasn't sure what to say. All of a sudden he was reminded of Marge. God, he missed her terribly. He would do anything to have the woman he loved back. He still hadn't said anything and the assembled group was starting to give him strange looks "I…" he began "I wish you two all the happiness in the world," he turned his attention from simply the two detectives to the whole crowd "To two of New York's finest," he tipped back his soda water and sat down to roaring applause as he surreptitiously wiped his eyes with his napkin.

Olivia and Elliot stood up and Olivia took his hand in hers "We just want to thank all of you," she began.

"We're glad we could share today with you," Elliot continued as his eyes scanned the group. He knew that they wouldn't be there but he kept hoping that they would be. He hadn't been able to tell the kids directly that he was marrying Olivia; Kathy hadn't allowed him to speak directly with them and he hadn't seen them in the three months since he had proposed. He wanted them to be there. He wanted them to be happy for him. He loved Olivia and was going to spend the rest of his life with her but still he wished he knew that his children were okay with it.

Olivia knew what was going through his mind at that moment and she squeezed his hand gently. She excused them both quickly from the reception hall with an off handed joke about wedding night activities and pulled him out into the brisk March weather "It's gonna be okay," she whispered as she leaned her head against his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her "I know," he said as he choked back tears "I just wish…" he trailed off.

"I wish they were here too," she said softly. Olivia wanted Elliot's family to not hate her. The kids had liked her when she was simply his partner but she had no idea what they would think of her as his wife. Would they see her as their father's sad attempt to replace their mother? She thought about these things more than she knew she should.

While they stood there, a car pulled up and parked beside them. Neither really took notice of it at first until the noise erupted from inside "Dad! Olivia!" the happy shouts of Dickie and Elizabeth exploded from the back seat as the twins scrambled to get out.

Elliot turned to see his two youngest children just in time to keep himself from being knocked off balance by the exuberant thirteen year olds "Hey guys," he smiled as he and Olivia nearly had the breath hugged out of them.

"Father Denis told us we missed the ceremony," Maureen explained as she got out of the driver's seat and came up to where her father and new step mother stood "We didn't mean to be late but we ran into some traffic," she said as she hugged first Elliot then Olivia "Congratulations."

Kathleen was the last to approach the group "Hey," she said politely to Olivia.

"Hi Kathleen," Olivia smiled "How are you?"

"Good," Kathleen said as she hugged Olivia "If Dad really had to marry someone, I'm glad it was you," coming from Kathleen, that was a compliment.

"Thanks," Olivia said warmly.

"Come on," Elliot said to the entire group that surrounded him "There's still a lot of party left in this old man." His children looked at him like he had just sprouted a second head out of his armpit, before turning and heading inside the reception hall.

Olivia simply laughed "You aren't that old," she punched him playfully in the arm. She took his hand and started to walk back inside with him "I don't sleep with old men."

Elliot clapped a hand to his forehead "No fair," he whined "Can't you cut an old man a break?" he asked, flashing her puppy dog eyes.

"Only if you'll do me the honor of a dance," she smiled as she leaned in and brushed a kiss across his lips.

"It would be my pleasure," he smiled.

"You're sure you aren't to old for that?" she asked teasingly.

They walked to the center of the dance floor and Elliot swept her up in his arms "Could an old man do this?" he asked.

"Probably not," Olivia laughed as he spun her around in time with the music.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Seven months later on a Saturday, Olivia and Elliot walked hand in hand through a park near their home. She smiled slyly at him as they made their way along the narrow path. She brought him to a bench and they sat down side by side. She leaned in and kissed him "I love you," she whispered.

"I know," he grinned devilishly back at her before saying "I love you too," he looked around the peaceful scenery of the park. It was early October and the leaves were at peak color. The wind, though crisp wasn't stinging cold. He looked at Olivia and noticed that she was shivering slightly. He took off his coat and held it out to her "Here," he said gently as he wrapped it around her shoulders. He pulled her so close to him that she was almost sitting in his lap "You said you had something to tell me?" he asked.

"Yeah," she whispered against his neck "You're gonna have a new partner for a while."

"What?" Elliot was surprised "I thought that Cragen had… Why?" he couldn't imagine losing Olivia as his partner again.

Olivia covered his lips with her forefinger "You need someone to watch your back," she said simply.

"Why can't you do that?" he asked, not having caught on yet to what she was trying to tell him.

"I won't be able to do that Elliot," she smiled as she pulled away from him to look lovingly into his eyes. She took his hand and rested it on her flat stomach "I'm five weeks pregnant," she told him.

Elliot's face broke into a full blown grin "Really?" he asked, so overcome with elation that he could barely think.

"Yep," she grinned back at him and he kissed her.

"We're gonna have a baby," he whispered as he stood up "We're gonna have a baby!" he scooped Olivia up off the bench and spun her around, careful of her stomach. He set her down gently and kissed her again "I love you so much," he whispered.

"I love you too Elliot," she smiled as she leaned her forehead against his "And I always will."

**THE END**


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